


Lemonade

by TigerWolfDemon



Series: Lost and Found Au [2]
Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Humor, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Mental Health Issues, Mild Blood, Multi, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rebellion, Romance, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:28:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 73,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28993686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TigerWolfDemon/pseuds/TigerWolfDemon
Summary: "When life gives you lemons make lemonade" It was a common expression in the human realm, Luz had explained that it meant making the best out of a bad situation. With her only way back home destroyed and a revolution bubbling in the background. The owl family has to find a way to make the best of things.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, Boscha/Willow Park, Edric Blight/Jerbo, Emira Blight/Viney
Series: Lost and Found Au [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2123745
Comments: 88
Kudos: 276





	1. Stuck

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Drabbles_Of_Writing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drabbles_Of_Writing/gifts).



Eda was skilled at many things. She was once the most powerful witch on the boiling isles, she could con, cheat, steal, lie and flirt her way out of almost any situation. Comforting someone, however, wasn't something she had much experience in. Comforting a child, even less so. If she was being honest with herself, admitting that she loved her human was a fairly big step for her. Years of building walls will do that, however now was not about her. She was given her second chance at freedom, but at the cost of Luz's. She had told the kid to leave for that very reason, she had made her mistakes and she had made peace with them. She stared into the living room, her sister sitting on the couch. This wasn't what she had prepared for that day, and although she was grateful for her breath. She knew what this path would mean. 

The owl house was always noisy, one of its many residents, and even more the house itself, were often loud and snarky. Yet today, it was silent. Eda bit her lip, as she made her way upstairs. She stared ahead at the door to Luz's room. She felt her nerves rising in her throat. Was this the right thing to do? Should she give her space? She clenched her fist, why was she being such a coward? Dammit her kid needs her. 

The door opened with a slight creak, and Eda felt her ears twitch at the noise before glancing at her apprentice. Luz was asleep, however her face was scrunched up. Her chest moved with uneven breaths, tears leaked from her closed eyes. "Mami" the child called in her sleep. The witch fell to her knees, shaky hands gently ran through the sleeping child's hair. Luz's face softened and Eda let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. This kid is going to be the death of me. She smiled weakly at the thought. 

"I'm sorry." An all too familiar voice said.

Eda didn't even turn around as she felt her emotions bubble to her chest. A silent war displayed on her face. She fixed her gaze on the sleeping girl, this child, who was currently dealing with some of the worst emotions of her life. Eda stood, her back to her sister, head still bowed over the child. "Do you have any idea of what you did?" She said softly, she felt her sister shrink in on herself. Eda turned, gold and silver eyes burned with fire. Owls were predatory birds and Eda's gaze would have scared off any beast that even glanced at it. 

"I...I was scared, I was a child myself. I didn't know the curse would lead....to this. He told me he could save you. I...just wanted to fix my mistakes-" Lilith silenced as Eda raised her hand, barely meeting her gaze.

"You used a child to lure me to you. You used a child as a shield. You almost killed my kid." Eda glared, her voice never reaching much above a whisper as she glanced briefly at the sleeping human. 

Eda was loud when she was angry, Lilith was more than accustomed to her sister screaming at her. This however, this quiet rage. This scared her more than she would ever admit, "I didn't think you would hurt-"

"You're damn right. You didn't think at all. What if I had run out of magic before you were throwing her into spikes? What if I couldn't turn away in time? She could have died, Lilith. This fourteen year old child could have died because of you. And now, she's trapped here for Titan knows how long."

"I.....I...." the older witch sagged as the words hit like knives, she sank to the floor, pulling her knees up. "You're right. I did it again. I focused so much on what I needed, what I thought would fix everything. That I didn't care about anything else." Sobs escaped her throat before she even realized. "Edalyn- Eda. You deserved better, the hu- Luz deserved better. I know that I can't make up for what I've done to you or your child." Lilith rose to her feet, her ears dropped. She turned away from her sister and walked towards the stairs.

"What are you doing now Lily?" 

"I- I just figured that you'd want me gone."

"Admitting and apologizing for everything you've done, doesn't undo all the hurt you've caused." Eda said, fire finally feeding her words. 

Lilith just nodded, turning back around, knowing her sister made the right choice.

"It is a start...." 

Her sister's words caused the older Witch to turn, the quiet storm, the blazing fire she had seen on her sister's face was gone. Instead was a face she'd never thought she'd see again. Eda, despite her curse and how much she aged, looked hurt, sad, scared, but there was a pleading. Lilith just stared at her sister, frozen in time.

"Lily, I'm tired. I'm tired of hating you, of hurting each other. I don't even know if we can even fix our relationship. But you can help me find a way to get Luz home. You can help me protect her from Belos and maybe we can fix our mess too. I just....I'm out of magic. I can learn from Luz but that doesn't keep her safe in the meantime." Eda let out a humorless laugh, "please, just help me keep the kid safe."

"You really love this child." Lilith smiled melancholy.

"That stupid kid" Eda laughed through a sniffle, "Titan, if dying meant I could get that kid home safe....I'd have swallowed the poison happily. She's my kid. And ya know, I always knew in the back of my mind that she would leave eventually. I just didn't think knowing that she was staying would hurt just as much. I can't stand seeing her in pain like this."

"I promise, I'll do everything I can to help her." Lilith continued, the sisters finally meeting each other's gaze. The hurt and guilt was still in their eyes, but there was also warmth and even a bit of mirth. Lilith gently prodded her sister in the ribs, "Honestly Eda, when were you going to tell me I was an aunt." 

Eda laughed despite all the hurt, "Oh fuck off." 

Despite their tears, the sisters shared an honest laugh. They leaned slightly against each other, sitting on the floor outside of Luz's room. Their wounds were still fresh, but the bleeding had stopped. It was a start.

"EDA" Luz yelled in her sleep and the witch moved without question. 

"Kid, kid, I'm here." She said quickly, immediately cradling the girl in her arms. 

"Eda, eda please don't go." The child begged, her eyes still closed.

"I'm here. Luz, kid, it's gonna be alright." Eda rubbed small circles on her back with one hand, the other cradled her neck.

Brown eyes opened with a start, looking up at the witch. Eda felt like she was looking at a shattered star. Two tiny arms wrapped around her tightly, holding her as if she would disappear if she let go. The owl lady found herself returning the grip if not more so, before wiping away tears with her thumb. 

"Eda, I dreamt that you were dead. I-"

"Shhh, it's okay kid. I'm not going anywhere. We're safe. It's going to be alright."

"What about Belos? And the emperor's coven-" 

"Meh, not a problem we can solve right now. Look, the only competent one was Lily and she still never actually caught me. We'll lay low for a bit but I doubt they'll come here directly any time soon. In the meantime, let's focus on what we can do now. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Luz wiggled out of her mentor's arms, letting out a deep groan as the events of yesterday caught up with her. She felt sore, her whole body ached, exhaustion clear in her eyes. She flopped back on her bed, "I'm in a little pain, mostly I'm just tired."

"I'll get you a healing potion and some water-" Eda blinked as she felt the girl grab her dress.

"I'll be fine. J-just don't leave me...."

Eda bit her lip, before letting out a sigh, "just a bit longer. But you're getting some water and healing potions miss Missy. " She grumbled half heartedly as Luz snuggled up to her. 

"Thanks Eda"

"Any time kid" She smiled softly but it didn't meet her eyes, "Sorry you got into this mess, you didn't deserve this."

"I couldn't let them hurt you." Luz mumbled into Eda's side. 

She felt a retort, but let it die on her tongue. What about you Luz? What about your safety? The witch's thoughts screamed. She let out a sigh, pulling the kid closer to her. "Love you kid." 

"Love you too Eda" She yawned, falling back to sleep.

The witch didn't know how long she sat there, it almost didn't seem to matter. She only looked up when she heard the sound of paws. 

"How is she?" The demon asked, timidly.

"Not great. I didn't feel any broken bones but she's definitely in pain. Can you get a healing potion and a glass of water?"

"Sure thing." King nodded, but before he left he hugged Eda's side. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Yes, yes I'm fine. If you can't reach something, yell for Lily." Eda sighed. 

King let out a happy squeak before dashing off. 

Eda felt a worried smile form on her face as she ran her fingers through the girl's hair. This stupid selfless idiot, if anything happens to you I'm going to fucking kill myself. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of King's voice.

"That's right peasant, carry the tray for me."

"I'm carrying the tray because you almost dropped it." Lilith corrected.

"Quiet you two, you'll wake Luz-" Eda chided before feeling the weight next to her shift.

"I'm awake. It's fine." Luz's voice was horse with sleep. Brown eyes scanned her surroundings, her brain clearing not fully on yet. However she flinched slightly at the sight of Lilith, who's ears drooped in response.

"I'm sorry Luz, I know that what I did was selfish and inconsiderate. I know that words don't change everything that happened but....I will do all I can to help you get home and to make up for what I did." The older witch crouched down, setting the tray down, "I got the potion and the water you asked for, as well as some bone broth. Since she hasn't eaten."

"Thanks" Luz mumbled quietly, although her uneasiness was still clear.

Eda gave her sister a sympathetic look. 

"I'll be downstairs then." Lilith continued, as she left the room.

Eda uncorked the bottle, a heavy medicinal smell wafted from the source.

"God, is this why the healing track classrooms always smell so bad?" Luz exclaimed, wrinkling her nose.

"What is medicine in the human realm really that much better?" Eda asked, quirking up her eyebrow.

Luz hummed to herself as her mind flashed back to all the liquid medicines she had in her short life, "Not really."

"The taste isn't as bad as it smells." Eda reassured.

Luz's eyes narrowed slightly as she thought of all the gross things she'd seen her mentor eat willingly, "I'm not getting out of drinking this am I?"

"Nope."

Luz sighed, taking the small bottle from the witch. She'd played many video games and smiled slightly upon seeing the red color of the potion. The pungent smell burned her nostrils as she tilted the bottle back, the potion had the consistency of warm jello and the taste was bitter and floral. She swallowed quickly, not even trying to hide the disgusted look on her face. 

"And here is your chaser." Eda smiled softly, handing her the glass of water.

Luz drank it greedily, eager to get the taste of the healing potion out of her mouth. "Somehow I still think I have had worse human medicine."

Eda chuckled, "well, that's one point for us. Now eat some of the broth. Lily's actually a decent cook and plus you're going to want something in your stomach after that."

Luz nodded, picking up the oversized mug and taking a sip. The broth was warm and rich, and almost tasted like pork. There was a comforting feeling that came, like the soup had warmed up her aching bones. However it didn't stop the melancholy that followed. "Eda, do you think I'll ever be able to go back?" She said, barely above a whisper.

"Well clearly the magic exists to make it. I don't know how hard it will be to replicate. It's certainly not going to be easy" Eda sighed, wrapping her arms around the kid, and she felt King snuggle closer to them in his sleep. "It was thought impossible for humans to do magic, yet you proved that wrong. Facing Belos was thought to be a death sentence. Kid you've done the impossible time and time again. This is at least possible." She ruffled the kid's hair affectionately. "We'll figure it out."

"Thanks Eda." Luz smiled, hugging her teacher tightly.

"You're welcome Luz."


	2. Adjustments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is trying their best to adjust to this new situation. Lilith and Eda try to find Luz a way home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry for any spelling errors. This wasn't beta'd. Hope you like it and feel free to comment down below! Thank you so much for all your kudos and support.

Lilith Clawthrone had made her home in the emperor's castle, as leaders of his coven often do. She had been fairly minimalistic in her private quarters. She was on missions so often, she was hardly there. She had grown used to her place there. However, she no longer resided in the castle, a paw bapped her face. She groaned into the pillow, rolling over on the couch. Another bap can, settling around her ears this time. She flexed them back defensively, reaching for a pillow to sandwich her head. As she felt whatever creature that was disturbing her moving for another attack, she quickly smacked it with the pillow in her hand before placing back on her head.

King let out squeak as he was batted away. He grumbled as he grabbed his bunny and headed back upstairs, ready for some consolation cuddles from Luz.

Lilith just slept without even having realized her attack on the tiny terror. 

\----------------

Lilith yawned as she woke up, stretching her sore back. She opened her now multiple colored eyes to see an annoying face staring down at her. Naturally, she screamed and punched it.

"OW, WHY DOES EVERYONE DO THAT WHEN I TRY TO WISH THEM A GOOD MORNING? Jeez. Hoot." Hooty grumbled pulling his head back through the window.

"The hell is with all the screaming about?" Eda yawned, still in her pjs, her bunny slippers squeaking on the steps. 

"Your house demon was staring at me while I was sleeping!" Lilith yelled.

"Oh...yeah...he does that sometimes when people sleep in the living room." Eda stretched her back letting out a giant pop, "guess I forgot to say something after all the shit that's been happening." Eda walked to the kitchen, pouring herself a large mug of apple blood, she took a long sip before topping it off again. "Hooty, stop watching people sleep. It's weird."

"Well excuse me for trying to be friendly hoot hoot." The house demon huffed. 

Lilith just let out a deep sigh, before joining her sister in the kitchen. Carefully looking in the cabinets for anything that resembled tea, but then stared at her sister's mug. "Apple blood? Eda, it's 7 am. That's a little early to start drinking."

Eda looked her older sister dead in the eyes as she took a giant swig, before letting out a deep breath. "Two days ago I was stuck as a beast, locked up, sentenced to death, had just watched my kid almost die, then got rescued by her only to find out she burnt her only way back home and also fought belos and somehow lived to tell about it." She then took another sip, finishing off the oversized mug, setting it back down on the table with a thud.

Lilith blinked processing everything that happened over the course of the past four days and grabbed the bottle of apple blood, pouring it into her tea cup. She drank it down in one gulp, before pouring herself another and set the bottle back on top of the fridge. "I'm going to go see if I can find any books about portal magic. Where is your study?" 

"My what now?"

"Books." 

"Oh, down the hall on the left." 

Lilith opened the door and wasn't shocked to see a pile of hex mix bags overflowing the trash can. She groaned as she glanced at the shelves. The books were randomly placed on the shelves with no rhyme or reason. She rubbed her temples before walking back out of the room. "Eda, where are your books on portal magic?"

Eda got up off of the couch, walking into her study. Glanced at the shelves pulled an old dusty burntish book off the shelf and handed it to her sister. "Here."

"Wait that's it? You only have one book? How did you make a portal with only one book?"

"Make it? I didn't make it."

"Well where did you steal it from?" Lilith grumbled.

"The magic portal store." Eda said dryly, "I didn't steal it, Lily. I found it in a trash slug." 

"Why did a trash slug have a magic portal?" Lilith asked seemingly to the room.

"I don't know, maybe it wanted a vacation. I found the key taped to the cover of that book. Whoever wrote it is the one who made the portal." Eda stated.

"Well this is amazing, this book has all the information we need- why don't you look relieved?"

"Open the book." Eda said flatly.

Lilith did as she was told, only to be met with a language she didn't understand, at least she thought it was a language. It could have been coded for all she knew. "Oh."

"Yep."

"Did you try a translation spell?"

"Yep. That thing is magically protected. Whoever wrote it, didn't want anyone in their business."

Lilith stared open mouthed, "and you couldn't find anything to undo?"

"I don't know, I only ever tried once and the damn thing set itself on fire. After that I figured it was easier to just try to figure out how to work the thing on my own than fiddle with the book."

"So we have one book, that is written in some language or code, that is heavily protected with magical enchantments specifically to stop you from trying to translate or decode it."

"Yep."

"Fuck."

"Wow Lily dropped the f-bomb. Haven't heard you say that in awhile."

"How are you joking around, this is serious!"

"I'm scared alright? ya happy?! I need to get that kid home and this thing is the only ticket she has out. Belos wanted that portal, so he clearly must have known about them. Portal magic is almost as rare as wild magic. So as far as I'm aware we can only see what we can find on our own or break into the emperor's coven. Normally I would be down to kick those clowns, but I'm out of magic and you barely have any left. Going there would be a death sentence, especially considering we barely survived the first time." Eda stated, in a tone that was so serious that Lilith certainly wouldn't have believed it was possible for Eda to even hold.

"So what do you suggest?"

"We focus on seeing what we can do about the protections on the book. Whatever it is. It's old magic. But Luz seems to be able to find Glyphs. Maybe it has something to do with ancient magic? Maybe it's some sort of layered protection spell. Either way. We're gonna have to research it."

"Well I guess I'll go to the library then." Lilith sighed.

"Yes nothing less conspicuous than being dressed like the leader of the emperor's coven." Eda snipped, earning a groan from her sister.

"Well it's not like I will be any less conspicuous in different clothes. My face is also on posters."

Eda was about to say something smart when an idea rolled into her head. She grinned sharply. "Yeah but unlike me. Your photos don't have your natural hair color or shape for that matter. The face people think of when they think Lilith Clawthrone is someone with straight navy hair."

Lilith's eyes bugged slightly as the implications of her sister's words started to hit home. "Can you undo the dye without making me go bald?" 

"What? I was in the potions track with you, ya know. I'm crazy not incompetent. There's a difference. Besides I'm fairly certain you can make the potion yourself. I have an injured apprentice to check on. Call me down when your hair potion is ready and I'll help you with it then." Eda started up the stairs, "the potion ingredients are in a chest in the greenhouse."

"Wait, are they at least organized?" Lilith called up the stairs.

"Sort of." 

"Titan dammit Eda." Lilith groaned.

\-------------------------

Luz laid in her bed as the words of the sisters sank deep into her heart. She wouldn't be going home anytime soon. She pulled her knees closer to her chest, ignoring the pain in her back. She felt wrong, twisted in her thoughts. She never really wanted to leave the boiling isles. She still doesn't, being a witch was what she always wanted. She made friends here. She found family here. But she loved her Mami. She knew that while her mom didn't always understand her. She knew that she loved her. Memories flashed of when she was small and a thunderstorm had scared her. She remembered her mother's warm hug and how she would tell her that she would love her know matter what. Her mom never proved her wrong. Luz prayed to whatever would listen that her mom would at least think she was at summer camp a bit longer. That she could find a way to tell her mom that she was okay. A knock on her door made her turn her head.

Eda's eyes gazed down on her, her ears drooped. She watched as the owl lady seemed to shrink before her, before pulling her into a soft hug. 

"I'm sorry Luz, I should've sent you back when you wandered in. Now you're stuck in this mess with me. I never wanted to drag you down kid."

"Eda, you gave me my dream. I didn't have any friends at home. No one really liked me...aside from my mom. She was always worried about me, it's not even like she didn't support me. She just wanted me to have some friends. She did everything she could for me. And I want to go back to show her everything and I could see her whenever I wanted. I just want her to know that I didn't just leave her behind." Luz started to sob.

"Hey, hey, easy now. If your mom is anything like you, I don't think she'd ever give up on you. Let alone think you left her behind. I think she'd be proud of you. You've accomplished more than anyone thought and you're only getting better. I'll promise you this kid. I will do everything I can to get you home and I'll sing your praises all you want. Cause your mom raised one hell of a kid." Eda smiled, rubbing circles in her back. 

"I think" Luz hiccuped, "she'd like you. She always said, the best people are the ones who still care when you have nothing left to give them."

"I think I'd like her too." Eda smiled.

"She wouldn't be super thrilled about the wanted poster though, or the theft really...."

Eda laughed, "Yeah well, even I'm not perfect." She said in her signature cocky tone.

Luz chuckled, tears still streaming down her face, "thanks Eda, I love you."

"Love you too kid." Eda smiled, "now let's get you something to eat and see if whatever Lily made will make her hair fall out."

Luz felt a smile starting to form on her lips, and she was still scared for what the future would hold. But at least she knew she wasn't alone.

\--------------------

Lilith huffed, as she leaned over the tub. Eda's hands ran the hair treatment throughout her sister's locks. The goo was a milky white color but was slowly starting to take on the dark navy of the dye. 

"I can't believe that I'm letting you do this." The older sister grumbled.

"What? Don't tell me you're still upset about the last time I did your hair." Eda grinned, before grabbing the shower head.

"What happened the last time you did her hair?" Luz asked, sitting on the floor by the bathroom door, holding a sleepy King in her lap.

Lilith was about to answer, before being blasted with cold water from above. The older witch coughed and sputtered, "It's a gentle rinse Edalyn! Not a waterboard!"

"Silly Lilly, Waterboarding is when you're face up. And it wasn't that bad. I just used too much of the anti frizz treatment."

"It was a holding treatment." Lilith corrected as her sister added another layer of the dye remover.

"I mean your hair wasn't frizzy afterwards."

"That's because it stood straight up!"

"My point still stands." Eda smiled in a sing song voice as she rubbed in the treatment, "Titan sis, you just had to pick a color this far from your natural hair color. Dark colors are the worst to get rid of."

"Well it's not like anyone would be intimidated by my natural hair color. It was a dress for the job thing."

"Well you don't have that job anymore so you can go back to being a strawberry puff." Eda laughed as her sister's ears turned red.

"Bold words Lil miss ginger snap." Lilith smirked, lifting her head to see her sister's face turn red.

"Stupid childhood nicknames." Eda huffed.

Luz chuckled slightly but there was still a bit of an ache in her chest. Gently she set the sleeping demon down before heading back to her room.

King, however, woke up anyways, quickly catching up with her. He hugged her leg tightly.

"Oh hey King, what's up?" She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes.

King wiggled his arms, and Luz easily scooped up the little demon, "I know I can't do much for you right now. I don't really have any magic. And I've heard you crying when you think I'm asleep. I just wanted to let you know that you're still my favorite boo boo buddy and if you're sad that's okay. I'll just try my best to be happy for both of us. " the little demon carefully placed a purple bandaid over Luz's heart.

Luz's eyes watered as she looked down at the demon in her arms before pulling him into a tight hug. King felt his heart break as he felt tears dripping on his fur. He knew that she'd probably just be this way for a while but he vowed that as she was, he'd always watch out for her. He wasn't much of a fighter, he didn't have any magic, but he could make her laugh and protect her from any nightmares that came in her sleep. He knew it might not always be enough but it was the best he could do.


	3. Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Willow, Gus and Amity come to check in on Luz.  
> Principal Bump realizes who scares him more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to comment and leave kudos down below. I appreciate all that you've given me already.

Hexside was closed for almost a week after what was now referred to as the petrification incident, mostly because calling it the owl lady incident leads to the question of which one. This was ordered by the emperor's coven as there was a surprising amount of distress after the ordeal. That and the coven guards were patrolling the streets like mad looking, surprisingly not for Eda, but for the now ex Coven leader Lilith. For Principal Bump, this was the first real vacation he had in the past two decades, and was happy to close for a little bit until things calmed down. He also had a meeting fairly soon with his former student, the now second most wanted criminal in the boiling isles, ironically dethroned by her sister, about the protections and protocol of her human. Most people would view the Principal insane for even agreeing to meet with her the first time, let alone after the most recent incident. He however wasn't stupid, the human had a lot of potential and after the success of multi track project, his students had improved significantly. He also knew pissing off Eda was equivalent to poking a rabid slitherbeast during a blizzard after three days with no sleep. He also knew that this was how she was before she became a mom to a human. Bump was also well aware of the people's growing feelings towards the emperor. He admired skill and true mastery came from freedom. He also knew himself well enough that if he was held at staff point and given the choice between fighting a seething eda or emperor belos. He'd pick belos in a heartbeat. Belos was at least quick with his murders, regardless of crime, he knew exactly what he would get if he betrayed the emperor. Death. Having known Eda, and especially now that she had someone she was protective over, he suspected that if he were to cause any harm to her student that he would suffer a fate far more agonizing than death. He prided himself in being able to get things done quickly and smoothly, it's how he lived and Titan dammit it is how he will die. He let out a sigh as he leaned back in his easy chair, a bottle of wine in one hand and a book in the other. Tomorrow he would deal with the owl lady, reopen Hexside, and betray the government. Today was for day drinking, and dammit he was going to enjoy it.  
\-------------------

Willow was nervous when she went back to school. Not by the incident, honestly after facing the bat queen and casually committing a federal offense to help a friend. She was far from bothered by the chaos of the past week. What that said about her mental state, she would deal with later. She was nervous because Luz wasn't at school. Luz adored Hexside and while sometimes late, had never missed a day. This left the witchling worried. The whole school knew how much Luz wanted to be a witch, and everyone was a bit shaken by the lack of the ever optimistic human. By the time lunch rolled around, Willow was on edge.

"Hey Gus, have you seen Luz at all today?"

"What? No, I thought she had classes with you today?" He blinked, trying to recall if he had seen the human anywhere. Before he could answer, a very concerned Amity sat down at their table.

"Is Luz with-"

"No. I don't think she's here at all." Willow answered before her friend could even finish her sentence. 

"I'll ask Principal Bump for her homework. Maybe we can go by the owl house and see if she's alright." Amity said quickly.

Willow bit back a knowing smile, but was cut off by Gus before she could speak.

"That's a great idea!" Gus cheered, oblivious to Amity's slight blush.

Willow let out a slight sigh. 'How are they all so smart and so dense?' Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by a squeak from Amity.

"Hey mittens, where's your little human friend?" Edric grinned cheekily, leaning to one side of Amity.

"She's not here! Why are you even asking me?!" Amity growled.

"Well we figured if anyone would know where the resident human was, it would be you mittens" Emira smirked knowingly at her sister's now reddening face.

"Actually we're going by the owl house tonight to go check on her." Willow smiled, although she did exchange a wink with the twins.

Edric and Emira glanced at each other before Edric ruffled his sister's hair, "Sounds like a plan sis. Stay as long as you like. We'll cover for you at home."

"Stop that- wait what, really?" Amity blinked.

"What are we not allowed to be nice to our baby sister?" Emira laughed.

"You are, you just usually choose not to."

"Yeah well, you're still our sister mittens, besides. It's us against them." Edric's face was smiling but there was a seriousness in his eyes. Emira seemed to match his expression while Amity just nodded before pulling the twins in a hug.

"Thanks."

"No problem." The twins smiled, for once without their normal hint of mischief.  
\----------------------

Lilith snored on the couch, she had been up most of the night with Eda, trying and failing to figure out what kind of magic was preventing this book from being translated, as well as failing to find any language close to the one written. Their trip to the library was delayed because of the swarm of emperor's guards roaming the streets. Lilith, despite her now red hair, decided it was best to wait and see what they could do in the meantime. Eda had moved on from this seemingly futile task to checking on Luz and clearing out space in the study for a bed for her sister. Lilith decided upon nearly falling asleep into her cereal that a nap was in order. 

"Ding Dong Ding Hoot Hoot!" Hooty yelled, slamming the door open. 

Lilith woke groggily, "Hooty, shut up." She groaned rolling back over.

"Miss Lilith?" An all too familiar voice asked.

Lilith grumbled, debating on just ignoring it or going back to sleep.

"That doesn't look like Lilith...her hair is so....bright." Another voice added timidly.

The older witch let out a deep sigh, rolling over to face whatever annoyance had befallen her. Sleepy teal and grey eyes blinked and then shot open upon the sight of the three teens looking down at her. She sat up, trying to find a semblance of dignity, even in this madhouse. "Yes, it's me, Amity. For safety reasons, I returned my hair to it's natural color." The older witch fingers ran through her grey streak, "Well mostly."

The teens stared at her changed appearance, all vaguely considered commenting on it before deciding that it was probably safer to just leave it be. 

"Is Luz alright? She wasn't at school today." Willow asked, seeing as the other two were still processing the older witch's strawberry colored hair.

Guilt immediately flashed across the older witch's face. Her hands fidgeted with the blanket on her, before letting out a sigh. "How much of the petrification incident were you aware of?"

The teens felt panicked, but immediately explained where they were.  
\----------------------

Principal Bump's ear twitched, as he heard the sound of Lilith's voice on the other side of the door.

"Do you want me to open the door for you, Hoot Hoot?" The house demon asked.

"Not yet, I kind of want to hear what's going on." Bump answered, leaning his head against the door.

"SHE FACED EMPEROR BELOS BY HERSELF?!" He heard three voices yell.

"Yes, Luz even chipped his mask." Another more annoying voice added, "she has the piece in her desk drawer. It doesn't taste good."

"Why would you try to eat it?" An exasperated voice, that definitely belonged to the oldest Clawthrone sister grumbled.

"How else will I show dominance as the king of demons?! Not only is that guy an asshole, but he's stealing my thunder!" 

Bump eyes were surprisingly wide, only growing wider as the door he was leaning on swung open and he was wrapped up by an uncomfortably moist owl tube. 

"Look what was listening at the me, Hoot Hoot" Hooty yelled, dropping the man on the floor.

He looked up to see a white staff aimed at his throat. "It's not what you think!"

Lilith Clawthrone didn't lower her staff as she glared down at him, "and why should I believe you?" She spat.

"Because you and your sister scare me more than the entire Emperor's coven busting down my door." He stated honestly, his hands raised in the air.

"Is that Bumpykins?" Eda called from upstairs before walking down to greet him, and politely calling off her sister. "About damn time you showed up!"

"Your human cracked the Emperor's mask and she's still alive?" He asked not even bothering to get up off the floor.

"Yes, yes. I know. It's not the point nor is it the reason I called you here. Now get up."

"You called him here?!" Lilith blinked.

"What he never narced me out to you whenever I went to drop Luz off to school, the man knows which side has more dangerous enemies." Eda grinned.

"Titan yes." He responded, finally getting up. "I've increased the enchantments on the school. If the emperor's coven even tries to get on property to hurt Luz or any of my other students. They'll find themselves in a world of hurt." 

"Good." Eda glanced at her sister, who responded with a smirk. The owl lady quickly grabbed the man's wrist as her sister cast a circle around it. "If you betray me Bumpykins or even try to hurt my kid, I vow I will put you through the worst pain imaginable."

Bump nodded, "I promise my loyalty to you and your cause Edalyn. And if I break your trust, may your vow be quick." He felt the unbreakable vow seal around them. 

"Now that I know for sure you won't rat me out to the emperor's coven, can you make anything out of this?" Eda asked, glumly handed the man the book that had fallen by the couch.

"What is that?" Amity asked, eyes scanning the half burnt cover. Reminded the adults that there were three kids present when they had their vow of secrecy. 

Eda and Lilith exchanged glances nervously.

Willow let out a sigh, "we fought you and helped Luz try to steal a hat to cure Eda's curse. And Amity likes her parents as much as you like the Emperor." 

"Odalia and Alador are douchebags" Eda sighed, "This book was attached to the portal to the human realm. However we can't figure out how to read it or translate it or anything."

Bump grabbed the book carefully before drawing a circle in the air.

"Wait! Don't do tha-" Eda and Lilith yelled, only for the man to drop the book as it caught fire in his hand. Eda immediately stomped the fire out with her boot.

"It's enchanted, any magic used on it only makes it try to destroy itself. We're not even sure what kind of magic was even used to make it. But it's the kid's only hope back aside from invading the Emperor's palace." Eda sighed, picking up the still smoldering book.

The man carefully grabbed the book, opening it up scanning the pages, "I know a little bit of almost every language in our realm." His eyes narrowed as he continued to flip through the book, "I've never seen any language like this in my life. I'm sorry."

"Well maybe that's because it isn't from our realm." Gus smiled eagerly.

Eda blinked, grabbing the book before dashing up the stairs. Her apprentice had been fairly down the past week, but maybe. This would be the break in the case they both would need. The witch slowed her steps, gently knocked on the door, "Luz? Can I come in?" When an answer didn't come she cracked the door slowly, Luz was asleep curled into a ball. Eda felt her heart break but knew there wasn't much of an option and gently shook Luz. "Kid, kid, wake up. Please I need you to look at something for me."

Luz opened her bloodshot eyes, despite spending most of the past few days in bed. She looked like she hadn't gotten any rest at all. "Hey Eda" She smiled weakly, her voice horse and raw.

"Can you understand this?" Eda asked, handing her the book. 

Luz sat up with great effort, holding the now more charred book and flipped through the pages, "if it's a human language, it's not one I know or recognize" She grabs her phone, "maybe I can see if I can translate it." She opened an app on her phone, and clicked direct language to English. She tapped the screen only for the words offline to appear in bold letters. Luz just sinks further into herself as she sets the book down. 

Eda sighed, rubbing the kid's back. "It's okay, we'll figure this out." Her ears twitched as she heard the steps creaking. She turned to see Lilith with her back turned to them.

"I don't know if she's in the mood for company at the moment" the oldest Clawthrone sister said gently to the teens in front of her.

Eda turned her attention back to Luz, "your friends stopped by to check on you. You feel like seeing people or do you want them to go?"

Luz sat up, leaning on Eda, "it's okay if they come in."

"Lily let the kids through." Eda called, and Lilith stepped aside.

Amity moved surprisingly quickly for someone on crutches, with the other two close behind.

They all felt their hearts shatter as they saw their friend. Luz was always so chipper and bright. Her positive attitude and smile lit up every place she went. The Luz currently being cradled by Eda, looked hollow, like her joy was snuffed out like a candle. They had seen her scared but nothing like this. Luz tucked her head into her mentor's shirt. 

Willow and Gus helped Amity move down to the floor where the three of them pulled Luz into a group hug. Luz just hugged them back like she'd disappear if they let go. They all let out a slight yelp as King jumped into the middle of their hug, snuggling his head against his human. Luz laughed, and for the first time in what felt like forever, it felt genuine. 

Eda stood up, relief filling her chest, "I'll leave you kids be. Holler if you need anything."

"Okay Eda" Luz smiled, and the room felt warm again.  
\---------------

Lilith smirked slightly as she helped her sister cut vegetables for dinner.

"Alright you've been grinning like a Cheshire cat for twenty minutes now will you tell me what is so Titan damn funny?"

"Oh nothing" Lilith chuckled to herself as she diced a carrot.

"Oh nothing my ass. Spit it out or I'll hex you."

"You don't have any magic."

"I will find a way." 

Lilith felt another giggle escape, "You're just, such a mom now. Honestly I didn't know you even had this side to you."

"I'm a mentor, not a mom." Eda grumbled.

"You check on her when she's sad, you cuddle with her. You call her, your kid. Seems pretty motherly to me. You enrolled her in school, you make her dinner, you-"

"She is my kid. Of course I call her that. Cause that is true. And okay so I act a bit motherly towards her." Eda huffed before setting her drink down, "ya know what fuck it. Yeah I'm her mom. Well her other mom. While she's here at least. And ya know what I'm damn fucking proud of that little shit. She's the best. And I love her."

Lilith was taken aback at the confidence in her sister's words, and her eyes grew slightly larger when she noticed a dark haired girl standing just outside the kitchen. She let out a slight cough, and watched as her sister turned around. 

Eda felt her brain short circuit as she stared at Luz. She suddenly felt very warm and knew if she looked in the mirror her ears would be beet red. She stared at the girl's face trying to decide what she was thinking. Was she mad? Eda knew she had another mom at home. She knew she wouldn't ever replace her. However, she had grown fond of the kid. She was chaotic and caused trouble with her just sheer honest enthusiasm. But she brightened up her day and watching her learn and grow made Eda feel a type of love she didn't even know she had. She bit her lip, worrying she had overstepped, but was greeted with a bone crushing hug.

"I love you too." Luz mumbled into Eda's shirt.

Eda lifted her head to look at her sister who was smiling softly, "that makes that old crone your aunt."

"I am not that much older than you!" Lilith grumbled. 

Luz just sighed, shaking her head as the two sisters argued. She got her glass of water and went back to her friends. 'Maybe things will turn out alright.'


	4. Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting into a Library is a lot easier when you're not the two most wanted criminals on the boiling isles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, it wasn't beta'd so sorry about any spelling errors. Hope you enjoy!

Amity smiled as she packed her bag, grabbing anything she might need for Luz- her friends on their trip to the library. Luz had called it a stealth mission, since they were technically sneaking in Eda and Lilith. She felt her face warm as she remembered how excited Luz was, talking about the perfect disguises for the sisters. Lilith smiled weakly but it was definitely full of chagrin while Eda seemed to be happily encouraging Luz, even her more ridiculous ideas. Amity let out a snort as she remembered the look of fear that appeared on Lilith's face when Eda brought out the wigs.

"What's so funny Mittens?" Emira interrupted, a sly grin formed on her face.

"I-nothing" Amity stuttered.

"Okay, Mittens. That is the worst lie you have ever told." Edric laughed, "now what's up?"

Amity let out a sigh, knowing full well her siblings would only pry more. She blinked as an idea formed in her head, "Actually, you two might be helpful. We're going to the library to see if we can find any books to help us figure out how to get Luz back to the human realm. However Eda and Lilith would immediately get caught if they walked into....basically anywhere-"

"Helping the two most wanted criminals on the boiling isles?" Emira grinned madly, "fuck yes."

"Honestly Mittens, you might have some fun in you after all." Edric laughed, ruffling her hair.  
\-----------------

Eda was hardly shocked when Amity showed up with the twins in tow. "I see you brought dumb and dumber with you."

"Hey!" The twins yelled, while Amity laughed.

"Yeah well I figured they could help, they are the top students in the illusion track. Plus they've broken into the library more than once."

"I can't believe I need children's help to break into a Library." Eda sighed, "Luz hurry up and master Glyph magic, I have a reputation to uphold."

Luz snickered, patting her mentor on the back, "sorry about her, she's still mad Lilith took her spot as the number one most wanted criminal in the boiling isles."

"Damn right, Do you know how many crimes I had to commit to get where I was? This bitch does one thing and suddenly she's number one?!"

"The one thing Edalyn, was betraying the Emperor's Coven after being their leader for years." Lilith sighed, "I don't even want to be the most wanted criminal."

"Exactly. It's wasted on you." Eda grumbled.

Lilith groaned before looking down at the blight children. "Great, we're involving more children in federal crimes."

"Well do you see a better option?" Eda snipped, "Besides from what I've heard from Luz, these two have the makings of excellent thieves and scoundrels."

"Wait, we're committing actual crime? Mittens this is awesome!" Edric cheered.

"Our sister, helping start a rebellion. I've never been more proud." Emira smirked.

"I regret inviting you." Amity said flatly.

"Hey Ed! Hey Em!" A soft voice chimed in from behind the Clawthrone sisters. 

"Willow! Glad to see you and Amity getting along again." Emira smiled, pushing past the older witches to greet her.

"The twins are here?" Gus yelled from upstairs, "oh this is so cool."

"Hey kid, so you're in the rebellion too. Nice." Edric grinned.

"Hey! You all came!" Luz flashed her smile and pulled the blights in for a group hug.

"Of course, we weren't gonna let our favorite human down." Emira laughed, while Edric nodded.

"Yes, yes, we all love Luz, enough with the cuteness." Eda grumbled while Luz only rolled her eyes at her. The witch ignored her kid's sass and pulled the twins aside, "You two any good at illusion enchantments?"

Edric and Emira exchanged a glance as Edric pulled out a bracelet from his pocket, as he slid it on, a puff of smoke appeared and before them stood Principal Bump. "This helped me get out of class so many times." Edric's voice rang from what appeared to be the principal.

"Ohhh, I like them already. Definitely Bad girl coven material." Eda grinned, "now as much fun as it would be to pretend to be Bumpykins. I think we'd need a more practical disguise."

"I actually think I might have the perfect idea." Lilith said, matching her sister's grin impressively well.  
\-------------------

A group of Emperor's coven guards carefully walked through the dark streets towards the library. 

"This must bring memories back for you?." One of the guards' laughed, nudging the one next to them in the ribs.

"Eda, shut up." Lilith snapped back quietly, "we're undercover."

Eda, despite being disguised as a masked coven guard, was still able to make it very clear she was rolling her eyes. 

The exchange of course caused the other "guards" to snicker.

The group made it to the library surprisingly easily, only exchanging a few brief nods from other passing guards. Lilith was actually grateful that the coven was still in extra security mode. As it made their group of eight much less conspicuous. She smiled as they reached the library before turning to the rest of her accomplices. "Willow, Emira, you two are on lookout duty. The rest of you with me."

The two girls nodded, turning to stand with their backs to the building. Lilith drew a spell circle and the door unlocked with ease.

"Wooh you didn't even need to use a scroll." Edric whispered excitedly, "what was that?"

"A wax key spell." Lilith answered quietly as she opened the door.

The others filled in, and just as quickly shut the door behind them. 

"You have to teach me that when this is over." Edric continued.

"Oh, me too please." Luz added. 

"Later, right now we need to find the restricted section." Lilith responded, still keeping her voice low.

"Oh I know how to get in there." Edric smirked behind his disguise.

"Not the section where they keep the dirty magazines, kid." Eda stated, and chuckled lightly as he deflated. "If memory serves me, I believe they keep the key behind the checkout counter, third drawer second from the right. It's track is a little bit sticky so be sure to pull up a bit when you slide it out."

Lilith resisted the urge to face palm as she used her spell on the locked drawer before taking the key. Eda quickly took it and led the way.

\----------------------

Willow and Emira sighed as they stood unmoving in front of the library. They knew how guards acted on duty, as they often stood still and unmoving. They were statues that only seemed to show signs of life when they were on the move. Guards were trained to stand for hours reacting to almost nothing. Willow found it slightly boring but all together not the worst, while Emira's ADHD riddled brain internally screamed. 

Both of them screamed internally however, when they saw a band of guards walking by, with two prisoners chained up in the middle. The witches were two girls, who couldn't have been too much older than them. They hung their heads low as a guard shoved them from behind causing them to trip. 

"Hurry up!" The Captain barked, and one of the guards dragged the prisoners up by their chains. The captain sneered behind his mask before turning to Willow and Emira, he marched over to them. "I didn't know anyone was set to guard the library, especially at this time of night." He asked.

Willow was frozen in terror, but thankfully Emira remembered what Lilith told them to say. "We're under special orders Sir." She responded evenly.

"Whose orders?" The captain snapped.

"Kikimora, Sir." Emira replied.

The captain immediately jumped back at the name, his hands seemed to shake, "Oh, carry on then. And forget this ever happened....please." The fear in his voice was evident.

Emira and Willow just nodded before the three of them exchanged a salute. The girls continued to stand statue still, til the patrol was out of earshot before they both let out a deep sigh.

"Fuck, can they hurry it up in there. I don't know if I can go through that again." Emira whispered frantically.

"At least you managed to speak!" Willow whispered back.  
\--------------------------

The group inside scanned the shelves for any ancient looking books that looked like they might help. 

The hidden restricted section wasn't terribly large, however the books were often very old and in the dim lighting made it fairly hard to see. 

"Guys, I think I found something." Amity called over, as the others gathered around. 

Lilith carefully took the book, it was written in ancient elvish, but after scanning the first few pages found it was about seals. She nodded, carefully adding it to the stack. Eda rescanned some shelves the kids had checked, trying carefully to make sure she wouldn't miss anything. However after an hour or so of looking only found five books that could be anything useful in their mission. 

Eda sighed, "well these will have to do. Kids gather round" she waved them over, pulling out five trashy human romance novels she had found in one of her many trash hauls. "Alrighty, you two think you can change these to look like the books we took?" She asked Gus and Edric. They nodded drawing their spell circles, the dirty paperbacks quickly morphed into heavy leather bound tomes that looked battered with age, not garbage juice. Eda grinned, "Alrighty girls, time to the final touch." Luz carefully flipped through the books, gently tucking glyph cards in the pages before handing them off to Amity. The witchling hexed them, then ever so gently placed them where the real books had been. 

"Good, now let's get out of here." Lilith said, as the group slowly made their way back to the normal part of the library.  
\-------------------------

Willow and Emira felt the tension leave their shoulders as the others opened the door.

"Any trouble out here?" Lilith asked gently.

"No. You get what we came for?" Emira replied.

Lilith nodded, and they carefully began their trek back to the owl house.   
\-----------

"Are you friend or Foe? Hoot hoot?"

"It's us Hooty, now open the door." Eda sighed, pulling the hair clip out and returning to her normal form. The others quickly followed suit and made their way inside. 

"Wooo! Stealth mission completed." Luz cheered, doing a little happy dance.

"That went surprisingly better than I expected." Lilith smiled.

"Hah, that was a cake walk." Eda smirked, "you should have seen when Luz and I broke into the conformitorium and did a jailbreak."

"I honestly should have known that was you." Lilith sighed.

"Okay, speak for yourselves. You didn't have to talk to any guards" Emira shuddered slightly.

"You talked to guards?! Fuck yeah!" Edric grinned madly, throwing an arm around his twin and Willow. "You give em hell?"

"I was too scared to speak." Willow confessed.

"I nearly pissed myself." Emira added, "but Lilith's plan worked. The minute I said Kikimora, the guy jumped back like I lit him on fire."

"Yeah, she has that effect on people." Lilith said, a distant look of trauma in her eyes. She grounded herself slightly before turning back to the teens, "you all did wonderfully tonight. I hope that you feel proud of what you accomplished today."

Luz led her friends in a victory cheer, and even Lilith couldn't help but join in on the fun.

"We still need a name!" Luz said, practically jumping with excitement. 

"A name for what?" Lilith asked, and even Eda looked a little confused.

"For our rebel alliance! Something cool. And mysterious. Oh and a sigil!"

"Ooooooo I'll go get my crayons!" King squealed happily running up the stairs.

"Alright brainstorm session. Go!" Luz grinned.

"Operation K.B.D." Edric said quickly.

"K.B.D.?" Eda said, confused.

"Yeah, kick belos dick." Edric smiled proudly.

"I like this one." Eda laughed, patting him on the head.

"We're not naming it that."

"How about Operation P. B. D." Emira smirked.

Lilith pinched the bridge of her nose, "that stands for punch belos' dick, doesn't it?"

"Maybe..."

"The kicking wasn't the reason the name was vetoed. I'm not going to be involved in a group named after attacking my former boss' genitalia. Also Operation is more for tasks than a group name." 

"We could be the sparkle squad!" Gus offered.

"Yeah only you and Luz are high energy enough for that name." Amity said, as confetti fell out of Luz's pocket.

"KING'S ARMY!" The king demon yelled, holding a piece of paper with a crudely drawn picture of himself on it.

"No." Eda sighed.

"Hooty's besties?!" The house demon smiled hopefully, leaning his head through a window, about an inch away from Amity.

"Get any closer and I will finish where I left off." She growled.

"Well I tried. Hoot." He chirped before going back outside.

"How about the Nighthawks?" Luz said, posing dramatically, throwing her pocket confetti for good measure.

"That's actually not a bad name, kid." Eda smiled, the others nodded in agreement.

"Now we just need a sigil." Luz continued.

"ME????" Hooty asked, popping his head in throw the window.

"No." Everyone yelled back at the house demon.

"Mean. Hoot." He mumbled.

Owlbert flew down from Eda's shoulder doing a little dance.

"Aww, Owlbert. Do you wanna be the sigil Lil guy?" Luz cooed 

"Actually I did design the top of the weathervane to look like him. We could use that. Although isn't that a little obvious?" Eda asked skeptically.

"Eda, if someone were to start a rebellion. They would immediately guess it was you." Lilith sighed. The kids nodded.

"I mean you are like 90% of the news" Gus stated.

"The crowd also were pretty easily swayed to save you" Willow smiled.

"You're literally one of the most well known criminals in the boiling isles, I think the world would be more shocked if you weren't involved." Amity added.

"Plus look at his wittle baby face!" Luz squeezed Owlbert gently, holding him up.

"Alright Alright. You guys win." Eda grinned.

The teens cheered as they continued to talk about cool names for task forces.  
\---------------------

Lilith and Eda sighed as they sat around the empty table. Most of the kids had left aside from Luz who was asleep with King upstairs.

"Edalyn, are you sure about getting the children involved with this. I-"

"Before you say anything I would like to point out that the person who came the closest to killing a child is you." Eda snipped, and smiled sharply as her sister looked down. "Lily, I'm not insane. I'm not going to drag these children into gorilla warfare. If the people are that easily swayed by a couple of kids talking. I think we have a decent shot at changing people's minds without having to resort to war. If we're going to do this we're going to it by showing the people how fucked the coven system is." 

"And what about the Coven leaders? I doubt they will roll over so easily."

"Look me dead in the eye and tell me that the emperor doesn't play favorites with his covens."

"Fair point, so we talk to the ones who tend to get the shorter end of the stick. And cause internal chaos."

"Exactly. Any attacks we do will be in self defense against raids. And we keep the kids away from it as much as possible. And if we need to fight Belos directly. It's gonna be you and me. Those dumb kids are the best thing in this hellscape and I'm not letting them get hurt. Not again." The pain in Eda's voice radiated into the room. 

"That wasn't your fault. I was the one who dragged her there in the first place."

"I could have just sent her back. If I had done that then she'd be safe at some human camp and not dealing with all this shit."

"She loves it here. We both know the warts and bumps of the isles. But she looks at the world with wonder and enthusiasm. She's one of the most dedicated students I have ever seen. She doesn't regret being here." Lilith reassured, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. 

"She has a mom Lily, she has someone who is waiting for her. And she might just keep waiting."

"And we will get them back together. We have some books we can look through. We have options......if things come to worse we'll find a way into the castle Library or even Belos' private chambers. We'll figure this "

Eda just nodded but it was clear that doubt rattled in her mind like a swarm of angry bees. She turned away as her sister drew closer, but the moonlight betrayed her, shining down on the fresh tears. 

Lilith pulled her sister into a tight hug, and for the first time since they were children, Eda sobbed openly in her sister's arms.


	5. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins help Amity find a way to spend more time with Luz.

For the next couple of weeks, everything felt normal. Luz went to hexside, came back to the owl house. She did her homework, joked around with King and even started training again with Eda. Most people and even some of her friends didn't always notice the occasional forced smile, or a flash of emptiness in her brown eyes. Then again, most people didn't stare into Luz's eyes as much as Amity pretended she didn't.

She knew that if anyone could create a new portal to the human realm, it would be Eda and Lilith. Even without magic they were incredibly tenacious witches, you didn't get the reputation they had without being willing to put in the effort. In Amity's mind, it wasn't a matter of if, it was a matter of when. However as two weeks became a month, the when started to feel a bit more strained. She sighed as she wrote in her diary.

Dear Diary,

I'm worried about Luz. I know. I know. I basically have been writing that in here every chance I get. I just hate seeing her like this. She's clearly not okay. I just don't know what I can do for her. Eda and Lilith seem to be on top of finding things they can to create a portal, and I've even gone back to the restricted section 5 times to check to make sure there weren't any books we missed. I just feel so helpless. I hate seeing her like this, I just want to hold her and tell her I love her and that everything will be okay. But she doesn't need a romance right now and honestly I don't know if she will get home any time soon. It's already been almost a month and a half. I knew something like this would take time but I thought we'd at least have a start. I just wan-

"Hey mittens, you okay?" Emira asked gently, snapping Amity back to reality.

"I don't even know Em." Amity sighed, burying her face in her hands. "I just want to help Luz. But I don't know what I can do."

"Mitts, we know you care about Luz. We all do. But adding more work and pressure on yourself on top of all the shit our parents dump on you. Isn't helping anyone." Edric said, giving his little sister's shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"I can't just do nothing. If the situation were flipped she would work just as hard to help me."

"Oh my Titan, you two really are meant for each other." Emira groaned, wiping her hand down her face. "You two's unhealthy work habits aside. How about instead of living off three hours of sleep, caffeine and spite. Take a nap, maybe drink some herbal tea and I don't know, hang out with her?"

"I don't want to push my romantic feelings on her while she's vulnerable."

"You ship happy hopeless lesbian, you can hang out with someone without it being romantic." Edric chuckled, "look mom and dad still haven't found you a new mentor to train with right?"

"Yeah...so?" Amity asked skeptically.

"Well last time I checked Lilith is still alive and kicking and aside from working on decoding that book and fighting with her sister, I don't think she has a lot going on. Plus if that training happens to also Include Luz and Eda. Well not only can you two nerd out but you actually have a decent excuse to give to Mom and Dad." Edric smirked.

"That's actually not a bad idea" Amity blinked, "so this is how you both have such high test scores."

"HEY!" The twins yelled.

"Excuse me if you two spend so much time being dumb and annoying that I forget you're actually smart." 

"I hope you are aware that we will tell all these embarrassing stories about your crush at our toast at you and Luz's wedding." Emira said, a hand over her chest in mock hurt. Edric just nodded, pretending to be as offended.

"MY WHAT." Amity squeaked, her face beet red, "That's it out of my secret hideout!" 

The twins just cackled as they left.  
\------------------------

Lilith yawned as she walked towards the kitchen, to make her morning cup of tea.

"Lilith, someone's here to see you!" Hooty yelled as he swung open.

Lilith felt her already exhausted mind crying at the thought of any sort of interaction before she had a chance to get her caffeine.

"Umm Miss Lilith?" Amity said timidly, as she looked at the former coven leader's disheveled appearance.

Lilith was wearing an oversized wrinkled tee shirt that said taco cat spelled backwards is taco cat with a giant picture of a cat in some kind of costume on the front, and a pair of fluffy pink pajama pants with hearts all over them and the word sexy written across the butt in shiny gold cursive font. Her bright red hair was fluffed in an almost impressive case of bed head while her grey streak almost looked like a lightning bolt. Her grey and teal eyes had deep set bags and the dead eyed stare they held made Amity step a bit closer to the door. 

The older witch let out a sigh so deep Amity worried the woman would deflate, "Luz is upstairs."

"Actually I wanted to.....umm talk to you....if that is okay....." Amity stuttered trying to avoid eye contact with the woman who looked vaguely homicidal. "If it's too much trouble.....I can come bac-"

Lilith Clawthrone grabbed her large round glasses off the end table and placed them on her face. They almost seemed to magnify the death in her eyes. "Come along Amity."

The witchling followed the older witch much like how you'd walk after being spotted by a predator. Trepidatiously, she stepped, still looking at the floor only to spot the leopard print slipper socks. _'If this were literally anyone else this would be hilarious.' _Amity thought, her ears, which had been pinned back defensively, raised at the sound of clinking glass. She looked up and watched as the former most respected witch in the boiling isles poured a shot of Dwarven whiskey, and threw it back like she needed it to breathe. She grabbed the tea kettle and filled it with water before placing it on the match lit stove.__

____

"I can just go, I really don't want to be a both-"

____

"Amity, you're already here. I got two hours of sleep, I'm wearing human trash clothes and it is six in the morning. Whatever formal pretenses and hesitations can be saved for later in the day."

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"It's 9 am actually." Amity corrected, suddenly wondering how this witch was once held in such high regard as well as a general concern for her mental health.

____

"Time is the greatest illusion." 

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"Well.....miss Lilith-"

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"Child, I'm wearing pink heart pants. I think you've more than earned the right to call me by my first name." The witch smirked wearily as she poured the hot water over her tea.

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"I want you to be my mentor again." Amity said quickly, her amber eyes still glued to the floor.

____

Lilith snorted loudly, it almost seemed to turn into a bit of a wheeze as her body shook from laughter. The witch clutched her sides as she slid to the floor, trying to catch her breath.

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"I'm not joking." Amity glared, her former teacher had said to drop her hesitations and well after almost fifteen years of being critiqued on her every move by her parents. The young witch was a bit more than done with not being taken seriously.

____

Lilith's expression sobered immediately at the amber daggers being shot down at her. She looked down at the half spilled tea in her hand. "I'm a wanted criminal with barely any magic who is still trying to make up for the last child I almost killed in my narrow mindedness." Her voice poured out like blood from a self inflicted wound.

____

"Well Eda didn't kill you and she let you stay here with Luz." Amity countered.

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"Eda doesn't have any magic left." Lilith's voice said barely above a whisper.

____

"We both know that definitely wouldn't have stopped Eda from killing you. I also know Eda wouldn't have let you stay this long without Luz's consent. So despite what you may feel, I think they believe you have changed or at least have the ability to. And if they can give that to you, then you're qualified to be my teacher. And Luz is more than enough evidence to show you don't need innate ability to do magic."

____

Lilith raised her bloodshot eyes, a humorless smile on her face, "then why not Eda?"

____

"Well....." Amity let out an awkward cough as she scratched at the back of her neck. Suddenly transformed back to her neurotic fourteen year old self, "Eda made Luz shove moss up her nose and I don't think I could take more than a day of that kind of training."

____

The witches shared a genuine laugh, as the older one rose from the floor. Lilith adjusted her shirt and dusted off her fluffy pants.

____

"Well Amity, you've got yourself a teacher." Lilith grinned, although her lack of sleep seemed to catch up with her.

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"AMITY!" Luz cheered, pulling her friend into a tight hug, "You got your cast off!"

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"Oh, Hey Luz" Amity blushed, as her friend squeezed her. 

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"What are you doing here? Oh you want to have a surprise Azura book club meeting? Or talk secret rebellion stuff." Luz grinned, trying to look cool.

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"She came here to get her training schedule now that she is my student again." Lilith yawned, making another cup of tea.

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"We could train together. We can be battle brothers." Luz jumped excitedly. 

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"Well training won't start until tomorrow. So you two can do as you please. I'm going back to bed." Lilith said, wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep.

____

As the older witch left, Amity felt herself start to blush, suddenly at a loss for what to do. 

____

"Amity?"

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"Hmmm?" She blinked, realizing she zoned out in panic.

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"So what do you want to do?" Luz asked, her normal bright smile sending butterflies through Amity's heart.

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"I don't know. Honestly I didn't think that far ahead." 

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"Well, we could read the first few Azura books together!" Luz offered, grabbing her friend's hand. 

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Amity didn't even remember nodding her head, but she couldn't have been more pleased.  
\-------------------

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"So. Now for truly the most important question. Who do you ship Azura with?" Luz asked, a silly grin on her face.

____

Amity laughed, they only just finished book one and Luz was already talking about theories and plot points in book five. It was a bit bombastic, much like everything Luz does. The witchling shook her head. "I don't know Luz, the book has a pretty extended cast."

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Luz leaned closer, wiggling her brows, making a face very similar to her otter pajamas. "I've seen enough of your sketches to know that's not true."

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Amity's ears flicked back and she turned a bright red.

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"Ha. I knew it. Now spill." The other girl smirked, poking her friend gently in the side.

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"I.....um....."

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Luz backed off a bit, her normal soft smile formed on her face, "ya know it's okay if it's embarrassing right? I mean, even I have a few crack ships I think are fun."

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"I...." Amity paused, her face still cherry red, "I ship Azura and Hecate together."

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"They are so cute!" Luz squeaked, "Honestly if they don't become Canon, I'm rioting."

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"I know right? They have such a good dynamic. Plus who doesn't like a rival to lovers story." 

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"Ugh, I wish I had wifi. There was a whole list of fanfics we could read together." 

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"I mean we could....always write our own." Amity offered, shyly, only to be practically pounced on by her friend.

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"That is the best idea ever." 

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Amity just snorted, "Titan, you're a dork."

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"Yeah well, I'm your dork." Luz laughed, "you chose to be my friend and now you're stuck."

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"Yeah...." Amity smiled softly. _'she's my dork. MY dork.'_

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"I'll go get the typewriter!" Luz cheered as she ran out of the room, leaving Amity a blushing mess.

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\------------  
Edric and Emira smirked over their game of Hexes hold em, the cards sprawled haphazardly across the floor.

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"So....how long do you think it will take for Mittens and Luz to finally get together?" Edric asked, placing a card down, it roared to life and bit through two of Emira's cards.

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The younger twin grumbled slightly at the display, "as soon as Amity either gets the confidence to say something or Luz suddenly gains awareness." She placed a card down, it charged Ed's most recent attacker, only for another card to jump up and bite it half. "Dammit I thought that would work."

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"If it goes on for over a year, we're intervening." Edric sighed, placing another card down.

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Emira examined her cards carefully, her face set in an unmovable blank mask. She set down a card and it sprung three cards to life only for one of her brother's cards to zap them with a fireball. "Fuck me, I walked right into that." She groaned, "also if you think I'm going to be able to sit there and watch those two dance around each other for a year. You're sorely mistaken."

____

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"Hey, we have to let them at least try to figure it out on their own. Besides, it's not like anyone else in this family is any better. You get the same way around Viney and I walked into a door staring at Jerbo."

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"Yeah well, it's not like our parents taught us any healthy social skills or ya know gave us any sort of affection." 

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"Well, here's hoping Mittens can be brave for all of us."

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"Here here!"  
\--------------------------

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Eda stretched her shoulder slightly before continuing her stitch. Although it wouldn't be for another month before the air would start to chill, her kid really didn't have much stuff for light cold. Really she only had the heavy coat which they had found in one of Eda's many junk piles. So she figured she'd make Luz a sweater, since her stay seems to be more permanent. Knitting also helped her relax, and after a decent amount of scattering pro freedom pamphlets last night at the market, she needed to relax. She smiled as Lilith joined her on the sofa, one of the books they had taken from the library in her hand. Eda felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her, remembering many days they spent with their granny, just relaxing in each other's presence.

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"AMITY, AMITY NOOOO!" Luz yelled, dashing down the stairs, before sliding across the floor with her socks.

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"YOU STARTED THIS WAR!" Amity laughed, chasing after her. 

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"WELL I'M NOT TICKLISH!" Luz protested, backing towards the kitchen.

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"Then why are you running?" Amity grinned, moving closer, like a wolf towards a rabbit.

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"I'm not running, I'm fine." Luz said, walking backwards into the wall. Amity immediately seized the opportunity, placing a firm hand on Luz's shoulder to keep her pinned. Her single minded focus made her miss the bright scarlet that ran across Luz's face. She quickly attacked her friend's sides. Luz yelped with laughter, moving her head down instinctively, only to head butt Amity in the process. 

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"Ow" Amity squeaked, her socks slipped on the hardwood, she felt herself start to fall back and immediately grabbed anything to right herself. However the thing she grabbed was a slightly dazed Luz who only proceeded to fall on top of her. The two were frozen, their faces red and inches away from each other.

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"Now kiss." Eda called from the couch, not even looking up from her work.

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The two girls jumped away from each other, both beet red. 

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"Eddddaaa." Luz groaned, flopping on her back.

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"Luuuuzzz" Her mentor mocked, before bursting out laughing as the teen blew a raspberry.

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Amity smiled, and found herself taken in by the joy and even Lilith giggled slightly.

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King stomped in, wearing Hooty's sleep hat, "Hey some people are trying to sleep."

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A devious grin formed on Luz's face as she turned to Amity who caught on to the plan.

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"Hey King~" Luz said in a sing-song voice, "ya ticklish?"

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"Ehh?" The little demon's eyes bugged, and he yelped, immediately running away as the two girls gave chase.

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Eda just shook her head, she stopped knitting, and set the mostly done sweater down on the couch, "Remember all our tickle wars Lily?"

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"Don't you fucking dare. Edalyn. EDA" Lilith shrieked as her sister dug her fingers into her sides. She jumped up off the couch.

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"I'll give you a five second lead," Eda smirked.

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"Fuck you."  
\-----------------------  
Luz and Amity's chase had ended under a tree where the little demon had squirmed as they tickled him mercilessly. After enough pleas, they let him go and he immediately scampered off, just in case they changed their minds. 

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The two teens leaned back against the tree, gently snickering as they caught their breath in the cool dusk air. 

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Amity's face was stuck in a stupid love sick smile, her amber eyes entranced by the sparkling brown. _'I could stare into those eyes forever' _Her thoughts stopped in their tracks as she saw the light fade in her eyes. Amity felt her soul ache as she saw a flash of Luz's shattered heart. She pulled her closer, leaning her head on top of Luz's. "You okay?"__

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__"No....." she let out a deep tired sigh, "Today would have been the day I would have come back home from Summer Camp."_ _

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__"Summer camp?"_ _

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__"It's the place my mom thinks I'm at. Before I always hoped she just assumed I broke my phone and that I was fine. That she isn't scared or worried where I am. But if she didn't know before, she certainly knows now. And.....I just..." Luz felt hot tears burning down her cheeks._ _

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__Amity just pulled her friend in her arms as the girl started to sob. She rubbed her back gently as she felt the tears dampen her shirt. Amity had heard Luz talk about her mother, about all the fun games they would play on weekends. How Luz's mom had read her the first Azura book to her when she was nine. The times they spent together in the kitchen making family recipes. They were close in a way Amity could only imagine, she and her siblings often wondered if their parents would even care if they just disappeared. She gently held Luz's face in her hands, lifting her out of her shoulder. "Hey, if she's anything like you, I'm sure she'll never give up on you and when you get back, she'll be so happy you're home. In the meantime, you have us."_ _

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__Luz sniffled, flopping her head back on Amity's chest. She looked up with her puffy red eyes, "I just hate not being able to do anything. Especially when I know someone I love is hurting."_ _

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__"I understand, I'm the same way. Ed and Em always tell me that if I can't do anything, the least I can do is try to make myself feel better. Cause dwelling on it only makes it worse." Amity offered, giving her friend's arm a reassuring squeeze._ _

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__Luz let out a slight laugh, "you sure we're talking about the same twins?"_ _

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__"Yeah they can be stupid and jerks sometimes, but with our parents.....the way they are. We look out for each other. Especially now. Honestly I think you calling them out at the library kind of reminded them of that. They still piss me off sometimes but we're talking more again." Amity blushed before looking away, "sorry, this isn't about me. I didn't mean to put my problems onto you. Especially right now...ugh"_ _

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__"Hey, it's okay. We're here for each other. You can share your problems with me too." Luz lifted up her head and hugged Amity tightly, "thanks for coming by today. I really needed it. And I'm sorry your parents suck."_ _

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__Amity laughed through a deep blush, "I had fun. And you're always welcome to talk to me when you're not having a good day."_ _

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__As the dusk turned to night Amity made her way home. Although she was still worried about Luz, she felt better knowing that she would tell her and that she could do the same in return._ _

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	6. Recruits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The multi track kids join the rebellion  
> Eda and Lilith drink over their moral guilt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has commented and there is more to come!

"Good Evening Everyone, I'm Perry Porter, here at another site of Nighthawk destruction. The statue to our most Honorable Emperor has been destroyed." He spoke as the camera panned towards the fallen statue. There was hexed graffiti that said, the covens are a lie that moved every time the camera tried to get away from it. Perry however carried on, trying to ignore his nerves on how his bosses were going to take that message being displayed. "This is the third attack on a public building in the past two weeks. The Nighthawks have also been airbombing propaganda and misinformation about the coven system and the Emperor all over the night market. There have even been reports of nighthawk graffiti in our own Hexside school. Those responsible are still unknown but the suspected culprit is none other than the Former coven leader Lilith Clawthrone. The madwoman and his sister the owl lady haven't been seen in almost four months now. Emperor belos' right hand and acting leader of the Emperor's coven, Kikimora has this to say." Perry nodded as the feed switched off, he felt his entire body drain as soon as the camera was off. _'I'm so going to get in trouble for showing that graffiti again. Stupid hex, it's like it knows how my cameras work! These acts keep getting bolder, can't they just catch the mad lady already? I never got in trouble with my bosses for covering natural disasters or whatever the owl lady did. Eventually I was able to do her stuff in a week roundup. I don't get paid enough for this crap. _  
\---------------  
"WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!" Eda yelled at the crystal ball, "THE SIGIL IS AN OWL. A FUCKING OWL. IT'S LITERALLY BASED OFF MY PALISMAN! WHY ARE YOU GETTING ALL THE CREDIT?!"__

__"Dear Titan, Edalyn. This isn't a competition. Besides they're blaming me because of the disgruntled employee angle. That and the fact that you're my sister, they're making me look like I was some crazed lunatic double agent." Lilith grumbled over her cereal, she was wearing a bright yellow tee shirt with something Luz had referred to as a 'sponge bob' on it and grey sweatpants with the word Pink in bright bold pink letters on the butt, her hair was in it's normal morning rat's nest, and her glasses were slightly skewed._ _

__"I mean in that outfit, they're half right." Eda smirked._ _

__"I got these clothes from you." Lilith growled into her tea, "besides they're comfortable for sleeping. That is their purpose. And it's not like I'm going out any time soon."_ _

__"I mean I think yellow is a nice color on you Lily. Makes you look like a happy little sunflower" King snickered over his eggs._ _

__"Can it or I'll turn you into a hat."_ _

__"Good morning everyone!" Luz smiled as she walked down, dressed in her school uniform, she spotted the crystal ball. "OH! Were we on the news again?!"_ _

__"Yes, although they're giving all the credit to Lily, Again!"_ _

__Luz laughed as she shook her head, grabbing the breakfast sandwich Lilith had made for her and her packed lunch. "At least the word is getting out." She reassured as the witches continued their childish bickering._ _

__"Please, don't leave me alone with them. If I have to listen to them fight over the remote one more time, I'm going to die." King begged, grabbing Luz's leg._ _

__"King, you know you're not allowed on campus anymore. Mx. Frostmore is still mad about you getting into the pantry in the cafeteria."_ _

__"Excuse me if they aren't responsible enough to keep the can openers farther away from their giant cans of gold." King grumbled._ _

__"Yeah well they also teach the elective course for the cooking coven I'm taking next semester."_ _

__"Hey, your reputation at school is your own making Miss Missy! I'm not the one who destroyed detention five times!"_ _

__"It was four times, you helped me with one and during your last adventure you waved to me while covered in canned blood orange syrup and then tried to hide in my hood when Mx. Frostmore grabbed their broom. I showed up to my next class looking like I committed murder."_ _

__"A murder most fruity, ehh? Ehh? Ya get it?"_ _

__Luz chuckled giving him a kiss on his head, "be good ya little rugrat"  
\---------------------------_ _

__Luz redid the buttons on her sweater as the cool autumn breeze kicked, however she didn't mind too much. Fall was a beautiful time on the boiling isles, well when you could see. The anti- propaganda war they had started had benefited greatly from the fog that often came during this time of year. This however had not benefited Luz who had accidentally walked onto an active construction site the first day the fog was bad. After that Eda had "bought" her a scroll and could use it to find her way to school on days when the fog was dense but not dense enough to cancel school, at least for witches whose average eyesight was slightly better than humans. Thankfully today was a fairly visible day with just light fog and Luz could actually take in the scenery._ _

__The naturally orange leaves turned a deep red before drying to a dark brown almost black color and the trunks lightened and almost looked like birch trees. While there were still the pines that kept their normal color, it still gave off very Tim Burton vibes, which delighted Luz. She thought about showing her friends the nightmare before Christmas when it got closer to October but realized without the context of Christmas, Halloween and the fact that most of the monsters were normal. She figured they'd probably not really get it. Even if it was one of the few movies she had saved to her phone. It had been one of her favorite movies as a child, along with Coraline. So much so that her mom could practically quote the entirety of both movies even when she was a teenager. Luz felt a wave of sadness start to rush over her. _'just focus on the task at hand' _She repeated her mother's mantra in her head and before she realized she was at school.  
\-----------------___ _

____Luz jumped when she felt a hand grab her shoulder, nearly dropping her lunch. She turned to the wall to see Viney's head poking out from a hidden door. "Dios, Viney. Do you always have to pick the door behind me?"_ _ _ _

____"Oh come on, like you wouldn't?" The upperclassmen grinned,"besides it's Tuesday. We always have lunch together on Tuesdays."_ _ _ _

____"Fair points." She laughed following her into their secret hideout._ _ _ _

____"Jerbo, Baucus, all the doors are closed right?"_ _ _ _

____"Yep."_ _ _ _

____"Ruff."_ _ _ _

____"Cool." Viney turned, "Soooo I saw on the news Lord Calamity's sister is vandalizing property and trying to show the flaws with the coven system."_ _ _ _

____Luz bit her lip, "you guys promise to keep a secret?"_ _ _ _

____"Luz we've kept this place secret for two years. We're the people for you." Viney reassured._ _ _ _

____"It's not just Lilith, it's all of us. Eda, Willow, Gus, Amity, Edric, Emira and Principal Bump. We're the ones who have been printing pamphlets and vandalizing government property. "_ _ _ _

____"Oh we figured tha- Wait Principal Bump is with you guys?" Jerbo blinked._ _ _ _

____"Unbreakable vow, he fears Eda more. Also he isn't as active of a member. He mostly just lets us use the printers and brings really bland potato salad" Luz answered quickly, which the other three just nodded, not knowing how or where to start unpacking that information._ _ _ _

____"Anyways, we want in!" Viney grinned, shaking her younger classmate._ _ _ _

____"Wait seriously? Are you sure? Cause once you're in. There's no going back." Luz said seriously._ _ _ _

____"We know Luz, and that's why we want to join. No one suffers more under the coven system than us multitrack students. Both the plant coven and the abomination coven want nothing to do with me." Jerbo sighed, "my moms are worried I won't have a career after school because of my tracks and the only coven that would allow me to use both......"_ _ _ _

____"The emperor's coven." Viney sighed, "that is the only coven that would consider any of us. And they tried to kill you and lord calamity."_ _ _ _

____Barcus whined, putting his paws over his face._ _ _ _

____"Well, we have a meeting tonight at the owl house. You can come then. And if hooty asks for a password, just offer him some hexmix, or a bug....or a leaf...or attention really. He won't hurt kids....physically. " Luz added, munching on her sandwich._ _ _ _

____"Whose Hooty?" Jerbo asked, nervously as he popped a baby carrot in his mouth._ _ _ _

____"House demon" Luz explained, through a month full of food._ _ _ _

____"She lives in a house demon?! Do you know how rare those are?!" Viney squeed, "I actually get to see a house demon, up close."_ _ _ _

____"Ya know what, nevermind. If you just act like that when you meet him, he'll let you in no problem. Warning he will talk your ear off." Luz chuckled._ _ _ _

____Barcus ruffed._ _ _ _

____"Barcus says he senses something very annoying in our near future." Jerbo blinked._ _ _ _

____"Yeah......that's definitely Hooty."  
\--------------------_ _ _ _

____Edric chatted with his friends as they waited for the nighthawks meeting to start. He resisted the urge to tease Amity about her crush. He and Emira smirked as they watched their sister's ears which were flushed red on the tips and wiggled enthusiastically. They both however exchanged a knowing glance with both Willow and Eda. His thoughts were interrupted as Luz jumped up._ _ _ _

____"Oh we have new members joining us today!" She smiled._ _ _ _

____"For the love of all that is good, please tell me we aren't bringing more children into a rebellion to overthrow and undermine the emperor." Lilith asked, then groaned into her hands as Luz sat back down. "Child, I didn't mean that literal-"_ _ _ _

____"Finally someone who wants to talk to me! Oh this is better than the interview and fly all rolled into one!" Hooty cheered loudly, his voice barely muffled by the door? himself? Edric really wasn't sure but, honestly didn't want to ask either._ _ _ _

____"Hooty, open the door." Eda sighed._ _ _ _

____"Fine, but only because I want to Hoot hoot."_ _ _ _

____Edric felt his heart and bile sac jump into his throat as he saw Jerbo. _'oh no....' _He turned to look at his twin in hopes that at least she would be able to pay attention only to see her face just as pink as his. He turned to see Viney walk in behind Barcus. _'well shit' _______ _ _

________"Why does he feel damp?" Jerbo asked, looking mildly disturbed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"House demons are 20% mucus" Viney smiled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"And 80% loud" a voice added._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Barcus, did you just talk?" Luz blinked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"It's a spell, just makes it easier to communicate." Barcus smiled, before finding a comfy spot on the rug._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Hey adorable talking demon is taken buddy!" King huffed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Yeah!" Hooty added._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Edalyn. There are now more children in the rebellion." Lilith smiled through strained teeth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Eda-" Viney, Jerbo and Barcus jumped up from their seats._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"LORD CALAMITY??!!!" They screamed like fangirls outside of a boy band concert._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Oh so you're the little mischief makers that inherited my old clubhouse, Luz told me great things about you." Eda grinned, patting each of them on the head. They giggled happily._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Yeah the secret room of short cuts is in good hands!" Jerbo smiled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Edric snapped out of staring at the boy's backside enough to process what he had just said and flicked his twin in the ear._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Ow- the hell-" Emira grumbled only to be cut off._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"THERE IS A SECRET ROOM IF SHORT CUTS AND WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT?!" Edric asked, completely taken back._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Wait, WHAT?!" Emira said, just as outraged, "all we knew about were the tunnels Augustus has been digging!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"THERE ARE SECRET TUNNELS UNDER HEXSIDE?!" The three troublemakers yelled, just as shocked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Oh my Titan, I'm surrounded by Edas." Lilith buried her face in her hands._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Fuck yeah!" Eda laughed, "Alrighty, now that the chaos at Hexside has been shared. We need to start our next plan. Lilith and I will continue fly over bonesborough, you, fuck how many of you are there now.....nine?! No wonder I keep running out of snacks. Well which every one's are available. Bump has the next batch of flyers and pamphlets ready in the old cage they used to keep grom. It's a lot so I'll need at least four of you to go."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Amity perked up at that, then grinned deviously as she saw her siblings were distracted, "Well, I'm coming by with Luz after school for training. And Ed and Em aren't doing anything."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The twins blinked, and turned immediately to their younger sister, their ears pulled back in panic._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Relax you two, it's just paper. Grom is dead. You'll be fine." Eda smirked as the twins just nodded. "Next we'll be planning an attack on the government center. No fires, no lighting. Don't wreck more than the windows. We may be doing this after it's closed but we don't want to risk accidentally killing someone. Newbies, what's your skills?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Beast keeping and healing." Viney smiled proudly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Oh thank Titan, we have a healer." Lilith returned the girl's smile with a tired one of her own. "What are you ranked?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I'm the top of both actually." Viney blushed, rubbing her neck, "I used to volunteer at the hospital and I do a lot of research on the side with my gryphon Puddles."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Well you're now going to get more practice than ever. Especially with humans." Lilith stared at Luz._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"That was one time!" Luz huffed, raising her hands._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I mean you did almost fall into a hole in a construction site." Eda sighed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Human eyes don't see as well!" Luz grumbled, while the others snickered._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Well now that we know Luz is going to be okay" Eda continued, and grinned as Luz stuck her tongue out. "What about you kid?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I specialize in Plant and Abomination magic" Jerbo said with a salute._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Another tank, good. You can work with Willow and Amity. " Eda nodded, before turning to Barcus, "and what do you do?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Oracle and Potions."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"We can use you to help with planning and cover. Smoke bombs are a necessity. And any leg up on what might happen is always a good thing." Eda sighed contentedly, "Good picks kid. We really rounded out the team here."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"They came to me actually." Luz smiled as she watched the former detention track kids blush slightly at the praise._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Well, you three will fit in here after all." Eda laughed.  
\----------------------_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The sisters sighed as they sat in the kitchen. Luz was long asleep. They split a bottle of wine between them._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"They're going to attack us one of these days....you know that right?" Lilith said, calmly, taking a sip of wine. "We both know Belos won't stand for this war of words forever."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"The more words we get out the more people we can get to join our cause Lilith." Eda bit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"What more children? We can't do that to them."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I don't know if we could stop them from doing it even if we want to....any luck on who to start first in the covens?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I checked four different new sources. Apparently Belos gave the heads of the main nine covens a rather large pay raise."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Look, in another week we can start training all the kids in combat and defense. For now let's just focus on the two we already train."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"You mean the two that stare at each other with doe eyes while we talk at them." Lilith grumbled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Hey, let the kids have their fun while they can. We both know that this is going to get ugly eventually."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Well if they could hurry up on the stage of fun they're at so they could focus, it would be appreciated."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Oh no they better no, not in my house." Eda huffed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"What do you care? They're both girls. It's not like they can get the other pregnant." Lilith paused, "humans can't do that right?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Fuck I didn't even think about that." Eda's eyes bugged, "but no, I mostly meant cause the house has thin walls and also Hooty. Shit, I really didn't want to have that talk with my apprentice."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Your kid, your problem." Lilith grinned slightly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Fuck, I hope you have annoying ass kids." Eda grumbled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Eda, I'm 46 years old. The ship has sailed."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Yeah well I was 43 when a fucking human girl was dropped on my doorstep. There are nine kids in the rebellion, at least one of them is going to start clinging to your leg or giving you sass."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Titan, their parents are gonna kill us." Lilith groaned._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Meh, at this point the list is so long, what's a few more?" Eda laughed bitterly, swirling her wine._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Depends how many of their kids we get killed along the way." Lilith said gravely._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Eda stared into her glass, before tilting in back, "we start group training in two days. We're also practicing our glyphs. Because as long as I can do something, I'm not letting those kids get hurt."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"We won't always have that luxury...." Lilith sighed, finishing her wine. The sisters exchanged a look filled with twisted guilt before parting for bed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	7. Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The blight parents are assholes, also Ed is trans in this AU.

Dinner in the blight manor was a tense quiet affair. Any and all conversations were usually in the form of question and answer, with Odalia doing most of the questioning.

"How is your independent training, Amity?" Odalia asked, her voice was sharp and direct like a fencing foil. 

"It's going well. Although I'm probably going to start training with Edric and Emira later this week." Amity said, her tone flat and even.

Odalia cast her eyes at the twins, they tighten like a rubber band under pressure, "Good. If you two could pick up some of your younger sister's drive, one of you might actually get into the Emperor's coven early." 

Edric pretended to not see how his parents eyes looked at Emira. 

"Even if their scores improve, I don't know if we will be taking new members for a while. After the whole Clawthrone debacle, they've held off taking new recruits until they've chosen a more permanent leader." Alador said, carefully eating his food.

"We I suppose in that amount of time, all of you will improve. Oh Titan, imagine how lovely it would be for us to have two children in the Emperor's coven." Odalia smiled, "oh your grandparents would be so proud."

The teens just nodded. Dinner was always a fairly efficient affair in the blight household, yet it still seemed to drag onwards. Soon the servants came to take their plates and they quickly took their leave.

Edric however felt his mother's tight grip on his shoulder.

"Edric, sweetheart, could you sit down for a minute. I wanted to talk with you." Odalia asked, in a voice sweet and sharp.

"Yes, mother." He said automatically, taking his seat again.

"Edric" His father's eyes turned to him, "Do you know why we want to talk with you?"

"No fath-"

"LIAR!" Odalia screamed and smirked when Edric flinched, "Your teachers have said that Emira and you have been skipping classes. Is this true Edric? Did you lie to us?"

Edric wanted to argue, and felt hot tears burning in the back of his eyes, "yes, mother."

Odalia cast a critical gaze as she saw his expression, "Edric, you're the oldest of your siblings. You have to set an example." She walked closer, a cruel grin formed when she saw a tear run down her son's face. "Blights do not show weakness Edric. How many times must we tell you this? Your sisters never show unnecessary weakness. And once again you're dragging Emira down with you. I'm sorry son, but for that we're going to have to punish you."

Edric grit his teeth and nodded, _' she's just going to take away your binders for a while. You have some hidden in your locker at school. It will be fine. Nothing you haven't dealt with before' _He reassured himself, waiting for the punishment to be laid down.__

__"No more of your hormone potions for a month." Odalia said, sternly._ _

__Edric cracked, "but....but mother please.....I need those."_ _

__"Sweetie, I don't want to have to do this. But you left me no choice, you skipped school. We work so hard to make sure you have a good education and you waste it. Worse of all, you drag your sister down with you. These" Odalia lifted the vials of Edric's hormone potions, "are a privilege, not a right. You can have them back when your punishment is over."_ _

__"Please" Edric begged, watery eyes turned to his father._ _

__"It's for your own good son." Alador said, turning away.  
\-----------------------------_ _

__Lilith smiled as she saw Luz walking up to the house with the blight children in tow. She opened the door, silencing Hooty before he could do his doorbell impression._ _

__"Good, good, there's some snacks in the kitchen." Lilith said, carefully pulling out the flyers and brochures from the teens backpacks. "Yes, Bump actually remembered to change the font this time." She stacked them neatly on the coffee table before making her way to the kitchen. She had always liked to start off her training with tea and a snack. She had found children and even most adults hardly ever worked that well when they were hungry. And if she were being entirely honest with herself, she enjoyed spending some time with her students. Tea time with Luz, Amity, Edric and Emira had become a bit of a tradition the past month with the twins helping smuggle the brochures from Bump. She smiled, as she heard the teens chatting, three soft voices laughed, but seemed to be missing the deeper chuckle that rounded out their quartet._ _

__She entered the room, getting the kettle, while casting a glance at Edric. He was the more forward and outgoing of the twins, if Em took herself slightly seriously and was slightly nervous about something. Ed didn't care and would run in to try. While Amity was certainly the most driven of the three, and Emira by far the most naturally gifted. Both girls were often easily frustrated when they didn't do a spell perfectly. Emira, especially if whatever they were learning didn't come naturally to her. Edric, however, was completely unbothered by failure, a trait Lilith found both very admirable as well as very unlike a blight._ _

__Edric looked miserable, and Lilith could tell if he wasn't wearing concealer, he'd probably look like he had been crying. She looked at Luz, who caught her eyes. Lilith glanced over at Edric, silently asking her question only to be met with a shrug. She bit back sigh, before pulling out the cookies she had seen the boy always make a beeline for whenever they had snacks out. She carefully placed a few extra on his plate. He blinked, amber eyes glanced up at her in shock. Lilith simply smiled softly before going to get the kettle off the stove."So how was school today?"_ _

__"Luz tried to eat abomination goo." Amity laughed._ _

__"It looked like it would be grape flavored." Luz added, crossing her arms defensively._ _

__Lilith snorted, _'Titan she really is Eda's kid' _"Was it grape flavored?"___ _

____"No...." Luz said sadly, "it was abomination flavored."_ _ _ _

____"Wait you actually ate some of it?"Amity blinked._ _ _ _

____"Duh, as soon as the professor turned around and when no one was looking I gave it a taste." Luz explained._ _ _ _

____"Ohhh, that's why you started coughing." Amity smiled, shaking her head._ _ _ _

____"Wait, what is abomination flavor? Abomination isn't a flavor." Emira laughed._ _ _ _

____"It is." Luz said firmly._ _ _ _

____"It's not."_ _ _ _

____"It is!"_ _ _ _

____"Is not!"_ _ _ _

____"It is!"_ _ _ _

____"If it is then what does it taste like?" Emira grinned, while Luz wracked her brain._ _ _ _

____"Like one of those fried mystery orbs at the carnival, but like after a week in the dumpster."_ _ _ _

____"Ewwww" Amity and Emira squirmed, before bursting out laughing._ _ _ _

____Lilith just shook her head, and felt a little bit of relief when Edric let out a soft chuckle. "I would describe it more like if you mixed tar and rancid fruit juice."_ _ _ _

____"Wait, you've tasted abomination goo?" Amity said in complete shock._ _ _ _

____"I knew I wasn't the only one!" Luz cheered._ _ _ _

____"Why would you do that willingly?" Emira asked, disgusted as she was curious._ _ _ _

____"Eda bet me five snails I wouldn't." Lilith grinned, with a surprising amount of pride. "I also bet her ten she wouldn't drink any. Then we got sent home early because we threw up in our cauldrons at homeroom. Granny was irritated but definitely not surprised."_ _ _ _

____"You were a troublemaker?" Luz said, her mind blown, "I didn't even know you knew how to have fun until recently."_ _ _ _

____"Brat." Lilith smirked,"I mean I was no Eda. But she definitely pulled me into a few of her pranks. And I certainly did my fair share of stupid things. " She took a big sip of her tea, "I actually went to school with Odalia and Alador. Odalia took my spot as team captain by hexing one of my grudgby balls. So put pink dye in her shampoo in the girls locker room. She looked like she lost a fight with Cotton candy choosey hat for three days."_ _ _ _

____Edric snorted loudly, which was the most noise he had made all day, while Emira fell out of her chair laughing. Amity and Luz wheezed only staying up because they held onto the table._ _ _ _

____They enjoyed their tea for a bit longer, before Lilith decided it was time to set up for training practice. "Emira, Amity can you set up the practice dummies? Luz can you fetch Eda, I think she's making potions in the basement. The others will be here in the next hour. "_ _ _ _

____"Can do!" Luz cheered, while the other girls just nodded and headed out._ _ _ _

____"What do you want me to do?" Edric asked, quietly._ _ _ _

____"Are you okay?" Lilith asked, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to answer if you're uncomfortable. And if you're not feeling well, you can sit out of training. Your health comes first, okay?"_ _ _ _

____Edric felt himself shake his head no, tears started to prick the back of his eyes._ _ _ _

____Lilith pulled him in for a hug, rubbing his back like she used to do for Eda when they were kids. She felt him break into a sob, he buried himself into her shoulder. "Just let it out, you're okay." Lilith whispered._ _ _ _

____"Ready to watch my student kick your bu- oh shit, sorry. Take your time." Eda apologized, backing out, she gently guided Luz towards the front door._ _ _ _

____"Is Ed crying?" She asked, worry clear in her voice._ _ _ _

____"Lily has him. He's gonna be okay." Eda reassured, patting Luz's head._ _ _ _

____Lilith smiled as she heard her sister say that through the door, as she gently hugged Edric. She felt his breathing start to even out and he slowly lifted his head, a look of guilt in his eyes._ _ _ _

____"I'm sorry." He let go immediately as if he was going to be shocked if he held too long, "I didn't mean to-" He flinched as she raised her hand._ _ _ _

____Lilith's eyes widened, as she scratched her ear, her face filled with concern. She was even more startled when Amity and Emira walked in. Their golden eyes shot daggers at her as they stood by their brother. Lilith put her hands up defensively._ _ _ _

____"It's okay, she was being nice." Edric spoke softly, his eyes while still watery, held a look of hope._ _ _ _

____"What did they do to you?" Lilith asked, and watched as the girls turned to their brother, who simply nodded.  
\---------------------------_ _ _ _

____Clawthrones were never known for being calm quiet people. Granny Clawthrone had been known as a very sweet and loving woman but if someone hurt her grandkids. She'd likely put them in a body cast. Her granddaughters had found they had a similar streak especially towards the children life decided to throw at them._ _ _ _

____Lilith was in a rage, saying every curse under the sun while Eda was surprisingly quiet and pensive. At least that's how King and Luz found them._ _ _ _

____"What the hell happened?" King asked._ _ _ _

____"Did you guys figure out what was wrong with Ed?" Luz added, worry in her voice._ _ _ _

____"Yeah, right now we're trying to figure out what to do about it." Eda sighed, before turning to her sister, "that isn't murder."_ _ _ _

____"I'm not saying I would do it. But I want to." Lilith huffed._ _ _ _

____"Yeah the problem is you'd actually do it" Eda grumbled, "Luz go check on your friends. Make sure they don't think we're upset at them. And call the others to tell them group training is canceled."_ _ _ _

____"Okay" Luz said carefully, scooping up King._ _ _ _

____"What no I wanted to watch!" He whined as the door shut behind them._ _ _ _

____"So are you done choosing violence?" Eda asked, rubbing her temples._ _ _ _

____"For now." Lilith mumbled, "So what do you suggest we do?"_ _ _ _

____"We make some of the hormone potions. Give them to Ed to keep in his locker at school, and then see if we can make an arrangement with Bump. If one of the kids is having a bad day, see if they can get a free period. Give them some safe places they can run to when they need it."_ _ _ _

____"We can't just have them go back there! We need to call the authorities!"_ _ _ _

____"Oh my Titan you really spent too long as a cop. Lilith, we are the two most wanted criminals on the boiling isles. If we call the authorities. They will arrest us. Alador is also in the emperor's coven. And his wife is a Blight. They're one of the most well respected families we have. Even if the guards didn't immediately arrest us, they sure as hell won't arrest one of their own or anyone with that much political power." Eda watched as her sister's preconceived notions about her old job were once again crushed. "Also we are not kidnapping them. They will bust down Hooty for that."_ _ _ _

____"You kidnapped a human!"_ _ _ _

____"It's not kidnapping if they're from a different realm. It's finding. And I wasn't planning on keeping her forever.....it just happened. Look we already have the rebellion and decoding the book. If we take them. The blights will be at our door with the entire Emperor's guard. You don't have much magic and I don't have any."_ _ _ _

____"What if they try to get them to join the emperor's coven?"_ _ _ _

____"Well you can't join until you're at least 17 and with how crazy things are with you gone. I don't know if they're taking new people for a bit. And as long as we keep feeding chaos. We can at least delay it."_ _ _ _

____"Fine." Lilith growled, "but if they try to get them to join the emperor's coven. We're kidnapping them."_ _ _ _

____"See this is why you're bad at crime. You skip right over petty theft and jump straight into kidnapping and murder." Eda stated flatly. "And yeah, if they are going to be sent to tryouts for the emperor's coven. We will take them. I have no idea where in hell we'll put them. But we'll figure that out later."_ _ _ _

____"Ding dong!!" Hooty cheered, opening the door for the rest of the teens in the rebellion._ _ _ _

____"Dang it Luz" Eda mumbled, "Hey guys, training is cancel- why do you all have sleeping bags and blankets and pillows-"_ _ _ _

____"Luz texted us saying Ed, Em and Amity were having a bad time so she said we could watch a movie together to make them feel better." Willow smiled._ _ _ _

____Eda just looked at her sister's big pleading eyes and just sighed, "Alright come in. Yall can set your stuff up in the living room, Lilith and I will be downstairs working on some potions."_ _ _ _

____Luz walked in a slightly guilty expression on her face, "Hey Eda I'm so-"_ _ _ _

____"Can it. You did what you thought was best for your friends. It's not like they weren't coming over anyways." She smiled when Luz pulled her in a tight hug._ _ _ _

____"You're the best."_ _ _ _

____"And don't you forget it."  
\--------------------------------_ _ _ _

____"Titan, I always forget how complicated some of these potions can be." Lilith sighed, "and it doesn't help you don't organize anything."_ _ _ _

____"I have my own system, thank you." Eda huffed slightly as she grabbed all the ingredients she needed. "Besides the reason why you think it's difficult is because you haven't had the need to make a potion since you were at hexside."_ _ _ _

____Lilith scrunched her face, clearly wanting to argue, instead she just crossed her arms, "yeah...." She tapped her foot anxiously on the floor._ _ _ _

____Eda sighed as she placed some of her ingredients on the scale, carefully marking them down before adding them to the cauldron. "If you're worried about them. You can go up and see them. It's not like they can't pause that thingy. DVD? VHS? Bluetooth? Whatever the human thing Luz is using. I've seen her pause stuff before."_ _ _ _

____"I just don't understand, why they would do that to him. That's their child, those effect not only his brain but his self esteem. Why would take something like that and use it against them?"_ _ _ _

____"I don't know. How could someone use a fourteen year old girl as both bait and a shield." Eda sighed as she saw her sister flinch, "What I'm saying is, no one thinks they're the bad guy. Everyone believes they have a reason. However people can change. For better or worse."_ _ _ _

____"Alador was so nice in school. Honestly, Ed reminds me so much of him before he started going out with rich assholes." Lilith said, nostalgia in her voice._ _ _ _

____"Alador was also a weak spined shrimp who wanted to feel more important than he actually was. He always kissed the boots of those more powerful than him."_ _ _ _

____"Hey, he happens to be a very well respected member of the emperor's- oh I'm proving your point." Lilith groaned, "why am I like this?"_ _ _ _

____"Undoing years of indoctrination takes time. At least you're starting to recognize it." Eda smiled, carefully heating up the cauldron._ _ _ _

____"How did you see through it? You wanted to be in the coven just as bad as me? How did you just walk away from it all?"_ _ _ _

____"Oh, simple. I didn't. I saw how much you wanted it and figured there were more options out there. Then once I saw what was available decided it was more fun to strike out on my own path and also like after getting arrested more than once for doing literally nothing kind of makes you realize who your friends are."_ _ _ _

____"You make it sound so....easy."_ _ _ _

____"It might be a personality thing. I never really fit in anywhere so why even bother with the box."_ _ _ _

____"I guess I spent so much time making myself fit, I forgot there was anything outside."_ _ _ _

____"Mmmmhhhmm" Eda hummed, as she stared meticulously over the potion, "how's your progress on the book?"_ _ _ _

____"Still nothing. I just don't understand what it is. I've never seen even a self destruction enchantment act like this."_ _ _ _

____"Well yeah if it was a self destruction enchantment then it would have blown up the first time instead of just damaging itself." Eda said, carefully siphoning the potion into individual dosages, "Alrighty, these need to chill down to room temp and they'll be good to go."_ _ _ _

____"Well, let's go check on our brood then." Lilith teased._ _ _ _

____"Ya know when I even thought about having kids, I at least thought I'd have a partner. Nine kids, and the only person in our life that's an adult is us, hooty and king."_ _ _ _

____"Titan we need more adult friends."  
\---------------------------_ _ _ _

____The sisters quietly made their way up stairs, as they heard the sound of the old T.V. as Luz had called it, playing a movie._ _ _ _

____"I want my father back you son of a bitch." A long haired human on the screen said, stabbing another human in the gut with a sword._ _ _ _

____Lilith and Eda turned to where the couch normally was, to see a giant tent structure made out of blankets. They carefully stepped around it to see the nine teens piled together snuggled in a nest of pillows, blankets and king's stuffies. They waved at them, before carefully handing them the four empty snack bowls. The witches chuckled before making their way to the kitchen to refill the bowls. A tinge of pain filled their hearts as a thought echoed in their heads._ _ _ _

_____'I hope they still do this after hell breaks loose.' ____ _ _ _


	8. Growth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Nighthawks continue their attacks on government property.  
> Lilith and Eda continue to be parents  
> King gives Lilith an idea  
> Hooty finally gets included  
> Lilith and Eda realize their movement is growing beyond what they can control

The teens adjusted their masks as they jumped down onto the roof. They were black bird like masks, but were much more owlish, with the eyes being large and covered in a gold that reflected back in the light. They also covered their whole faces, the beaks were sharper and smaller as well. They had a special enchantment that was also used by the emperor's cover, that those wearing the mask would be able to tell each other apart. Their outfits were also black, although those were mostly acquired through their own closets or digging through Eda's stuff. 

Willow used her powers on the vines growing on the sides of the courthouse, watching as they grew just big enough to hold their weight. The Nighthawks began their descent.  
\--------------------

Tom was a fairly low ranking member of the emperor's coven, he had gotten in mostly because his aunt had been a well respected part of the coven for years before she retired. She had put in a good word for him and although he barely passed tryouts. He still somehow made it in. The coven however quickly realized that now that he was in, they had to figure out what exactly to do with him. After quite a few years, being bounced around to different teams. The coven finally settled him into the job as the night guard for the tenth courthouse, which was mostly used to settle small claims and fairly minor infractions. During the day, it had quite a few guards, mostly to deal with any really angry people whose case didn't go their way. At night however it was vacant, and considering that the effort to break into a building was way more work than any disagreement over the placement of a fence post was worth. It was considered the easiest job in the coven. All the person guarding it needed to do was stay awake. Naturally of course, Tom was snoring when he heard a loud crash. 

He cast a light spell, and held his staff as he carefully walked through the halls. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw a dark masked figure scamper by. He ran after them, and smiled as they opened a door but didn't shut it in their haste. 'I got you now chump' Tom thought as he ran at the door, it was only after he smacked head first into the wall that he realized the door was an illusion. He groaned as he hit the floor, rolling over on his side. He heard footsteps, and lifted his head up at the noise. He saw multiple masked figures with bats and maces. He stood up, although he leaned a bit on his staff, as he was still a bit disoriented. "You're not supposed to be her-" he started to yell, but a blue ring of magic cast over him. He suddenly felt very tired. He took a step forward only to fall flat on his face. 

"We checked the other floors. Lilith was right. No one else is he- Wait you seriously knocked him out already?" Gus asked, staring at the sleeping man on the floor. 

"I'm really starting to wonder if the best of the best means something different to the emperor's coven." Emira said, "this is the fourth person I've gotten to run into a wall this week."

"Nevermind that, our job is to smash up stuff and spray paint hexed graffiti." Amity stated, as she smashed a picture frame containing a picture of one of Belo's court rules. "Luz, Ed, you guys have the spray paint?"

"Just a second~" Luz's voice sang.

Amity turned and watched as her crush and her brother rolled the sleeping man on his stomach and carefully pulled his wallet out of his pants. 

"Receipts? Well this was a waste." Edric grumbled.

"Jesus, this guy eats a concerning amount of convenience store not dogs." 

"Hey, I found a cookie in his pocket!" Edric smiled proudly, holding a half crumbled cookie with pocket lint on it.

"Don't...don't eat that." Amity sighed.

"First the bat, and now a cookie." Edric pouted.

"Ed, Luz, there's a snack machine down the hall next to a bunch of possible breakable plaques." Willow said in the same tone used to excite a small child or a dog. 

Luz and Edric grinned and dashed down the hallway, Emira nipped at their heels, a baseball bat in each hand. Then came the distant sound of smashing glass and coins falling. 

"Somehow I'm both not surprised and still disappointed that worked." Amity groaned, while Jerbo sighed deeply and Viney pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Ruff" Barcus huffed, a can of spray paint floated by him.

Amity, Viney and Jerbo turned a bright scarlet behind their masks, while Willow, and Gus snickered. They also pulled out spray paint and began to work.

Luz, Edric and Emira laughed as they filled their bag full of treats and money from the now mangled snack machines.

The three continued their warpath through the offices, making sure to raid the mini fridges as they went. They however stopped dead in their tracks at a giant wall safe. 

Luz pressed a figure against her earpiece. "Guess what we found!"

"What? Where are you three?" Amity asked.

"Second floor. We found a safe!" Luz cheered.

"Do not."

"Mittens why???" Edric whined.

"That thing is literally the only thing in this place that would set an alarm off." Amity stated, irritation clear in her voice.

A bark came from the intercom.

"Good idea Barcus, Willow, go babysit the dynamic dumbasses." Amity grumbled.

"Fine." Willow sighed, Barcus and Gus laughed beside her. "Why do I always have to watch those three?!"

"Because you're the strongest and the only one who can overpower that much chaotic dumbass." Gus smiled, however panic set in as a loud alarm screamed through the building. 

"FOR TITAN'S SAKE!" Willow yelled, as the three of them made their way towards the idiot brigade. As they made their way down to the second floor, they coughed behind their masks, as a strong putrid odor took over their senses. Barcus whined and the other two groaned. They made their way through the destroyed office, before Luz and the twins ran past them, bags stuffed with cash and food.

"SAFE WAS GUARDED SAFE WAS GUARDED." Luz yelled as a giant horrid smelling slug demon appeared.

The six teens darted down the stairs, as they heard the demon smashing its way through the door above them. They dashed into the lobby.

"This way!" Amity called out to them, and the nine met up, and threw their smoke bombs.

The emperor's coven stormed into the foggy room, and found nothing but a trashed building, an angry stink slug and Tom asleep on the floor.  
\----------------------------------

"THAT WAS INCREDIBLY RECKLESS! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW BADLY THAT COULD HAVE GONE?!" Lilith growled at the three accomplices. Luz glanced a hopeful gaze at Eda, who only shook her head, her arms crossed over her chest. The human shrunk into herself, while the twin's ears dropped down. They bent their heads down, avoiding the grey and teal gaze. Lilith calmed slightly, "I'm sorry I yelled. This is just dangerous work and any unnecessary risks, even if it is in support of our own cause, could get you captured, hurt or Titan forbid...killed." 

"She's right kiddos, I know it's easy to get caught up in the excitement but there's still a lot of risk involved. At the end of the day, what's most important to us is making sure you're all safe." Eda smiled, she ruffled Luz's hair affectionately, then reached to do the same to Emira. She blinked as the young witch jumped back, hiding into her brother's side. The Clawthrone sisters exchanged a worried glance, the descriptions of Odalia yanking on her children's hair and ears flashed before their eyes. 

Lilith leaned down, "Hey, it's okay." She slowly reached out a hand towards them. A soft growl rumbled in Edric's chest. Lilith continued to reach forward, placing a soft hand on the boy's cheek. "You're allowed to make mistakes here." 

Luz watched as the twins melted, burying their heads in Lilith's arms. She watched their claws retract. She often forgot how cat-like the witches of the boiling isles were, with their wiggly expressive ears, fangs, claws and growl. They generally were stronger and more agile than most humans and their hearing was sharper. Their night vision is where it stopped, as where cats had an incredible talent for navigating the dark. Witches were really only slightly better than humans in eyesight in general. The biggest question in Luz's mind was if witches purred. The answer to which, Eda and Lilith seemed to avoid like the plague, much to the young human's frustration.

Eda gently prodded Luz as a silent way to tell her to give the trio some space, She opened the door and chuckled slightly at the sight of Amity looking up at her, looking like a deer in the headlights. The older witch just moved to the side, and nodded her head over towards Lilith and the twins. Amity glanced up before darting over to them and getting wrapped in the hug. 

Luz smiled as Eda began what King had dubbed, the brood checks, much to the chagrin of the Clawthrone sisters. Thus usually involved one of the sister's carefully looking over the teens to make sure none of them were hurt or putting on a brave face for pain. It always took place over two phases as the sisters were always very keen to double check the other's evaluations. Eda's checks usually involved her gently checking any visible injuries, gently prodding and hard eye contact. Flinches, unless confirmed otherwise, were considered automatic signs of injury. Lilith's checks usually were much more verbal with her going over a series of questions. Snarkiness and eye rolls were considered a good sign while pauses and glances away were usually her sign that someone was hiding something. Together they were surprisingly thorough. 

Luz met her mentor's gaze with her normal bright smile, and was given a head pat for her efforts. She flopped on the couch next to Willow and Gus, and watched as Eda paced by the door. 

"And here we have the owl lady, watch as she waits patiently to check the last of her brood." King said in a mock British voice.

"I will turn you into a pair of slippers." Eda hissed. 

"Please, you've been threatening me with that for years." He laughed.

"And one of these years I'm going to do it." She grumbled, then turned as the door opened. She met the gaze of the last three teens and they all gave soft smiles. Satisfied her job was done she went to the kitchen for snacks and to count how much money they stole. She grinned as she heard the mild complaints as Lilith fussed over the teens.  
\--------------------------

Lilith yawned, switching the crystal ball off the news, they were still talking about their attack on one of the courthouses even after a week. She stretched, walking into the living to see Emira asleep on the sofa. She grabbed a blanket off her bed and carefully laid it on the sleeping girl. She felt worry simmer in the back of her brain as she made it to the kitchen and Edric and Amity weren't there. She knew if one of them was there then the one on the sofa was probably the one who was the target of their parents' wrath. She knew that they were probably covering for Emira but she hated the idea of them being there. She growled as she made her tea, thinking about their parents. 

"Yeah, Lilith, you tell that plant what for" King chuckled, as he climbed into his high chair.

The oldest Clawthrone sister blinked realizing she had been staring blankly at a tiny cactus sitting on the window sill. Her ears flattened as she yawned. "Titan, I hate those bastards."

King looked surprisingly somber, "yeah, they don't deserve it. They're good kids."

"I wish I could take them now, and just keep them away but the emperor's coven would burn down the island looking for them."

"Too bad we don't have a portal to the human realm anymore. Otherwise we could hide them there." King chuckled, trying to lighten the sullen mood.

Lilith laughed bitterly, "I can't even get Luz there. Let alone anyone else. I've been studying these books for weeks. No enchantment seems to match the description."

"Well maybe it's layered. Luz figured out how to make a glowing ice glyph by combining it with the light spell. Maybe it's a combination spell enchantment. Someone who made a portal between realms had to have been well studied and versed in magic. So maybe that's because it's a unique creation on its own."

"If it's a unique spell then theoretically I could examine its current abilities and break those down in separate parts....King you're a genius!" Lilith grinned picking up the tiny demon and giving him a kiss on the head. 

"I know." He smirked proudly.  
\---------------------

Eda grinned as the teens arrived for after school combat training, "Alrighty, since Lilith is busy being a nerd. We're going to be doing things my way today." 

A wave of panic was sent through the group as Eda's lessons ranged greatly in quality, from finding extremely specific clovers for hours to finding a way to avoid flesh fairies. They all found themselves slightly worried, except for Luz, who was completely adapted to her mentor's crazy. The human trusted her teacher and respected her and somehow she always found the lesson, even if the lesson is fly swatters and running. The rest of the group sighed as they awaited whatever Eda had planned for them. Well most of them. Luz and Amity were snickering, each having a bit of a blush. 

"Aww, the love birds are at it again." Viney snickered quietly to the others around her.

"I still can't believe either haven't figured it out yet. How dense do you have to be to miss someone having a crush on you." Jerbo laughed.

"I know right? Who is that dumb?"

The twins silently screamed in the back, realizing they were also attracted to idiots. They however missed the wink that Jerbo and Viney shared and both twins nearly jumped into a tree when their crush approached them. 

Willow, Gus, Barcus, Eda and King exchanged a piece of paper with a betting list on each of the three pairs. Eda carefully placed the list in her hair and blew her whistle getting everyone's attention.

"Alrighty, today you will be fighting Hooty." Eda grinned madly.

"I don't know how I feel about fighting children." The house demon said, looking uncomfortable.

"I will get you a bad girl coven hat when I put in the t-shirt order." Eda smirked.

"PREPARE FOR WAR HOOT HOOT" He yelled.

"Hey, no possession and no killing." Eda called as she set up her lounge chair 

"Was that to hooty or us?" Luz asked, her mentor just cackled as she poured herself a glass of wine.  
\--------------------

Lilith walked upstairs to find all nine teens worn out, covered in sweat and holding ice packs. She turned to see her sister opening a new bottle of wine. "How long did they last?"

"An hour, they did really well actually."

"I can't wait til our next match. I won't have to hold back as much next time. Hoot hoot." The house demon smiled.

"That was holding back?!" Jerbo yelped, icing his bruised leg.

"Trust me....I've seen him when he isn't holding back. It's not pretty." Luz groaned.

"Great. More bird tube." Amity mumbled into the floor. 

"You will survive." Lilith smiled, patting her on the head, she straighten back up eyeing over the brood, "You've done well today and I'm proud of all you."

"Yeah, you're really starting to work as a team. Now go get changed. 5 minute showers for each of you. Amity. Gus. Don't use all the hot water. Now scram, you're sticking up the living room." Eda smirked, as the teens rolled their eyes and gathered their stuff. They grumbled, and Eda felt her smirk turn slightly devilish, "and no funny business, I'm too young and beautiful to be a grandma." She cackled at the shrieks and groans. "Titan, they are fun to mess with."

Lilith just shook her head although the crinkles by her eyes gave away she was trying not to smile, "what movie do you wanna put on since it's our turn to choose."

"I have no idea, let's see what's on the ball." Eda smiled, grabbing the remote.

"Reports are coming of a anticoven protest outside of Phalanx consisting of a small ban of students from Knuckle High. This isn't the first case, as small protests and property attacks have been growing since the Nighthawks recent attack and robbery of a second courthouse this week. Citizens grow worried as this terrorist group is growing in numbers and seems especially popular among the youth. Curfew Ordinances are being laid out across the island. Many wonder if Bonesborough is next. This has been Perry Porter, Reporting." The orb crackled.

A display of emotions ran across the sisters features, pride, fear, hope, guilt. The one that weighed the heaviest was responsibility. They knew that these people were going to be the future of the island, that they were sowing the seeds of change and could do things beyond what even their group of teens could do. They were proud of them all for standing for their beliefs but fear twisted in their gut. There was sacrifice that came with this, a metaphorical bomb that the sisters pretended they couldn't hear. The bomb that would destroy the excitement and fun. The breaking point.They before held it in their hands, making sure to choose locations that wouldn't be heavily guarded or dangerous. But as their movement grew, they knew what control they had was slipping. The teens were rebels in their hearts and the witches knew they didn't always listen. Especially when they wanted to protect someone else. They were good people. Lilith and Eda both knew well about what the saying was about what befalls the good.

"You guys okay?" Luz asked, looking confused at the two sisters and then at the deodorant commercial playing on the orb, "hey we don't smell that bad!" Lilith and Eda snapped out of their thoughts and turned off the orb. 

Eda swallowed back her emotions, "Luz, we couldn't think of a movie, we're going to skip our turn. Why don't you let Gus know that it's his turn to choose." 

"Okay...if you two need to talk or anything...we're here for you too." Luz offered, concern clear on her face.

"We're fine Luz" Lilith reassured with a plastered on smile.

Luz seemed skeptical of the pair but made her way back up the stairs.


	9. Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luz has bad day, Amity makes it better

Luz rolled over on her bed, she groaned as she forced herself up. The weight of today's date twisted in her gut. She punched her pillow, 'I was doing better dammit' She let out a deep breath. 'It's just a day, all you have to do is survive it.' She thought and prepared for the morning.

She had loved her birthday when she was a kid, although she was always slightly irritated that her actual due date was on Halloween and she was born just two days prior. However, her mom always made the day special for her. They usually involved spending the day together and going to all their favorite spots. Usually ending at the old arcade for Laser tag. To other people it might not seem like a lot, but to Luz it was always perfect. Today wasn't going to be like that, even if she had been in the human realm. It was her 15th birthday, her quinceañera. She remembered how excited her mom was and all the plans of inviting relatives over all the way from the domincan Republic. This would've been the day she met relatives she had only heard about. It was a day where she was supposed to feel like a princess, like someone who was becoming an adult. She looked out the window at the magical world around her, this world she loved, that also served as her cage. That prevented her from being with the only person worth going back to that world for. She felt tears burning the back of her eyes and did her best to bury them. Despite everything, she never felt more like a scared kid. 

\----------------------------------

Eda and King sat pensively, their eyes glued to the door, waiting to see how their Luz was going to be feeling. She had been doing surprisingly well at school, and both theorized that the desire to go home fueled her drive even more to become a witch. Her grades didn't slip, but she did have her bad days. Usually those were spent snuggled up on the sofa with them watching some movie together. It was their routine for when Luz didn't want to get out of bed. They knew what today was and they knew what it meant to her. 

Lilith, who was in her normal state of morning disaster, set down her tea. "Alright, what's wron-"

"Good morning everyone." Luz smiled.

Eda and King immediately snapped their attention to her. 

"Hey kid, you wanna skip today? I found some more movies in one of my trash piles." Eda said gently, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I can get my army to watch with us" King offered, hugging her leg.

Luz scooped him up and kissed his head, "I'm fine, thanks though. See you after school." 

The duo watched as Luz walked out, her lunch in one hand and her breakfast in the other like it was just another day. While Lilith stared at them blankly.

"Now will you tell me what's going on?"  
\------------------------

Luz half listened, her eyes set forward to the board but her mind was anywhere else. Today she'd be spending more time in the oracle, potion and bard track. She only had one friend in two of the tracks and thankfully he didn't know what today was. However she felt Barcus' gaze on her. The problem with dog demons is much like normal dogs, they're very good at knowing when people they care about are upset. She turned her head down to her paper, as she wrote down vague words she heard the professor say. She bit her lip knowing that she wouldn't be able to escape from his worry until after lunch. She finally returned his gaze, offering a cheery smile. She watched him turn away and felt tension leave her shoulders. 

"Alright class, one of the many skills to telling the future is to be able to connect to the present. The makings of a good oracle is to be able to see what problems they're trying to solve and see the branching paths forward to help them. However it takes years to be able to make that connection right away. So for today, we're going to be using someone you already know. A family member, a close friend, someone who you have a connection with and we are going to see if we can catch a glimpse of them in our crystal balls. Now please pick someone who is at work or a classmate, and avoid anyone in their 20s or has a habit of skipping school. Also no Exs. You will get into pairs and each will choose one person. I will come around and evaluate your choices to make sure the person isn't liking to be doing something....private."

Luz felt her heart sink to the bottom of her stomach, she turned to see Barcus already in the seat next to her. She shrunk under his gaze. He placed a paw on her hand, reassuringly. "Thanks Barcus."

She felt her nerves spike as the professor came closer and closer to their table. 'Just say Eda or King. Just say Eda or King.' She repeated in her head. 

"And who are you going to be watching miss human." The professor asked.

"King." Luz answered, immediately.

The professor paused, their piercing gaze looked almost through the human. "The oracle sphere works only through a clear mind. Are you sure he is the one you seek?"

"Umm, Eda?" Luz offered, not meeting the professor's eyes.

"Let's see you try." They said, skeptically.

Luz tried to clear her dry throat as she placed her hands on the ball, she closed her eyes and thought about Eda and the owl house. She heard a buzzing and opened her eyes. She smiled as the picture cleared and showed Eda reading a book on the sofa. King laying on her stomach. A wave of relief washed over her as she smiled at the sight. Eda sat up walking to the kitchen where she was making a cake. Birthday candles sat on the table. Luz winced closing her eyes, the orb crackled loudly drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Luz looked at the picture, it was fuzzy and it buzzed wildly like it was barely able to reach whatever it was finding, but it was obvious who it was. There was her mother sitting at their dining room table, the latest good witch azura placed next to a picture of Luz. 

"Mami." Luz choked, "lo siento, perdóname." 

Camila sobbed, and Luz poured her energy into the sphere, desperately trying to get her attention. She ignored the heat that started to form. The picture seemed to clear and she saw someone placing a hand on her mother's shoulder. She wanted to scream and yell to do anything to get their attention. Before she could she felt a weight knock her to the ground. She covered her face as she heard the explosion.  
\------------------------

"Sorry, Eda" Luz sighed as she and Eda walked out of the principals office. 

"Please, the oracle track always has at least one explosion a semester. Bump and your professor said you weren't in trouble. "

Luz just slumped against Eda's side, "I know."

"Let's go home." Eda smiled wearily, ruffling her kid's hair, "it's gonna be okay." The girl buried her face in her mentor's side and felt the hot tears fall down like the boiling rain. Eda squeezed her, "my poor baby bird."  
\-----------------

Luz was curled up in Eda's nest, in a restless sleep, while King snuggled next to her. 

Eda herself was downstairs, trying to figure out exactly what to do with the birthday cake that she made. "Fuck me, why did I think this was a good idea?"

"Eda, you made a cake. You didn't throw her a parade. You knew today would be hard for her and it was. But she's here, she managed to make a minor explosion in the class known the most for minor explosions. All and all, could have been a lot worse." Lilith reassured, patting her sister on the back.

"She saw her mom Lily." Eda said, the pain in her voice was as heavy as lead. 

"She was able to see into the human realm?! On their cheap old oracle spheres? Titan, no wonder it exploded." Lilith sighed, "that probably took a lot of her energy, but those school spheres don't hold that much so she'll probably be fine. She's just going to be out-" A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. Lilith opened the back door to see a heavily panting Amity standing outside. 

"Barcus, said Luz, talked Bump, got pass." Amity wheezed.

"Did you run all the way here?!" Lilith asked, ushering the teen inside.

Eda poured the young witch a giant glass of water which she drank greedily. Her breathing started to even out a bit, "I ran into a swarm of flesh eater fairies on the way."

"I always forget they migrate this time of year." Eda yawned, before taking a sip out of her mug. 

"Anyways, what did you say earlier?" Lilith asked, worrying slightly for her frazzled student.

"Barcus told me to come here as soon as I could because Luz wasn't doing well. I talked to Bump and he let me leave early to check on her. He isn't going to tell my parents and I got all my homework." Amity added, seeing a bit of fear on her mentor's face. 

"Well Luz is upstairs in my room, last time I checked she was asleep but- and she's gone. Since when do crushes give you super speed." Eda chuckled.

"They don't, that's anxiety." Lilith shook her head, taking a sip of her tea.

"I thought her name was Amity."

"Shut up."

"Hah. No."  
\-------------------------

"Luz?" Amity called out as she entered the large room, her head turned when she saw movement from the giant nest.

"Oh cupcake murder. It's you." King grumbled, he stretched, "She's in here."

"Barcus told me what happened. Is she okay?"

"She's tired, today's just been rough." King gently patted the sleeping girl's hair, "you watch her for a bit. I'm going to talk to Eda."

Amity nodded, dropping her bag from her shoulders and climbed into the nest and sat down next to her, gently rubbing her back. 

"Lo siento, perdóname." Luz mumbled in her sleep. She tossed and curled up on herself, "Mami, por favor perdóname. Lo siento. Lo siento." Tears leaked from her eyes. 

Amity felt her heart breaking, and gently shook her friend. "Luz, Luz. Wake up. It's just a dream."

"Lo siento."

"Wake up." 

Luz jolted up, her breathing heavy, eyes wide as she looked around, Amity grabbed her shoulders. "Amity? Wh-"

"Just breath, okay. Deep breath in. Deep breath out." 

Luz did as she was told, feeling her heartbeat going back to normal. She relaxed, her brain finally seemed to snap back into place as she realized how close Amity was. The light from the stained glass cast a golden light over the witch. Her hands pressed into her shoulders, golden eyes gazing at her. 

"Luz? You still with me?" 

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Just tired." Luz smiled weakly, she blinked as Amity pulled her into a tight hug.

"You're a bad liar. What's wrong?"

"Today's my quinceañera. My fifteenth birthday. It's a big deal in my family's culture. It's like a giant party where all of your family comes and it celebrates you becoming an adult. My mom had talked so much about how she wanted me to have this big party and invite all my family members to come. And now I'm here and have been missing for months now in the human realm. And then in class today when I saw her sitting there staring at my photo, crying. I just....I wanted to talk to her. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs that she would hear me and know I was okay. That I'm trying to get back and I couldn't. I felt so close. I fucking hate it."

Amity was a bit taken aback, Luz had never been one to curse or at least if she did, it was in a language no one understood. "Yeah, I get that. It's hard being stuck and feeling like you can't do anything about it. We'll get you home. I know it. You have some of the best people on the boiling isles pouring their heart and soul into figuring out how to get you back."

"I know and I'm so grateful for them and you. I just hate not knowing when. The longer it takes, the harder it will be on my mom. I'm sure any search parties have been called off by now. I'm worried she's going to get to a point where she thinks I'm dead and is just waiting to find out how." 

"Honestly if your stupidity hasn't killed you this far, I don't see what she has to worry about." Amity laughed.

"Hey, you've gotten into quite a bit of trouble yourself." Luz huffed, but a smile started on her face.

"All the trouble I've gotten into is because of you!"

"Yeah you keep coming back for more." Luz smirked, and watched as the blush covered Amity's face, 'wait, when did she start doing that' She thought, suddenly feeling her palms start to sweat. 

"I...I....I like....trouble." Amity stuttered, eyes glued to the ground. 

Luz felt her heart beating faster, her mind fought with what to do, her face was bright red. She bawled her hands into fists. 'Just do it.' She leaned forward and kissed her.

Amity blinked before melting into her touch, her hands buried into her dark hair. 

Luz pulled away, blush covered her face as she gently rubbed her neck, "trouble likes you too."

Amity snorted, pulling Luz into her arms, "You're an idiot."

"But I'm your idiot."  
\---------------------

"Hey, isn't it weird that the others didn't show up." Lilith asked, as she cut vegetables for dinner.

"Meh, Barcus probably told them it was canceled."

"Last time we said something was canceled they all showed up anyways and we had a giant impromptu sleepover." 

"Yeah but that was also Luz, she's always one to try and help other people. Besides she had just found out that her friends come from an abusive household. Of course she's going to have everyone show up and be there to support them." Eda sighed, scanning through one of the books from the library.

"But wouldn't they do the same in return?" Lilith asked.

Eda blinked, "King, do you remember what tracks Barcus said he was in."

"Potions and Oracle." 

The sisters shared a glance before both immediately ran upstairs.  
\----------------

Luz and Amity jumped apart as the door swung open. They immediately sat innocently away from each other like they hadn't been making out. 

Eda and Lilith walked in, and looked down at the pair. The lights came on and while Lilith still had a sharp glare, Eda seemed to relax.

"Oh thank Titan the clothes stayed on." The younger Clawthrone sighed before returning to a more stern look, "Alright you two, no making out in my nest. Go do that in Luz's room."

"What- we weren't making out." Luz laughed, awkwardly while Amity just looked like she was about to have a stroke.

"Edalyn. Seriously?" Lilith looked exasperated.

"What, excuse me if my biggest concern was finding them fucking in MY nest. I sleep there. How would you feel if they were in your bed?!"

Luz felt the blood rushing to her head as she processed what her mentor had said, while Amity looked like she was going to spontaneously combust.

Lilith sighed pinching the bridge of her nose, "kids, out of the room." The teens just nodded, getting up awkwardly and walking out. "Guess it's time for the talk."

"Nooooo, I don't want to." 

"Well, too bad. You said you were her mom. That's what mom's do. Now good luck."

"Wait, why am I doing this alone?! Your kid is in there too." 

"Luz isn't my-"

"Dumbass. I meant Amity."

"What-"

"Mother fucker, have you not realized the baby blights follow you around like a mother goose. For fuck sake Amity even called you mom during training a few times. They don't call their own mother that."

Lilith felt blood rushing into her face, "I, umm, ah....huh....fuck I have three kids."

"Cool, now that that revelation is over. Let's go give them....the talk."

"Do we have to...."

"Do you know enough about humans to know we don't have to worry about pregnancy?"

"We are giving them the talk." Lilith marched ahead, "mom is one thing, I am way too young to be a grandma."

"Same sister."

\----------------------------

King laughed harder than he had in his entire life when he saw the four women each with their own unique brand of horror on their faces. He rolled over, falling off the sofa with a thud.

"Shut it King" Eda grumbled, poking the little demon with her foot.

"But you should have seen your faces!" He wheezed, "oh my sides hurt."

"Good." Eda huffed. 

King finally seemed to catch his breath, "so how was your conversation?" The smirk was clear in his voice as well as the giggles he was suppressing. 

"It was very informative. Cisgender humans and cisgender witches are not that different. So we don't have to worry about any surprises." Lilith said, letting out a giant sigh. 

Amity, at the word surprises, looked a bit like she was about to faint. While Luz coughed loudly.

"Well I guess you two will just have to settle for looking like grandmas." King snickered before immediately almost getting hit with a staff. He squeaked as the two older witches chased him.

Luz turned to her girlfriend's bright red face and laughed before giving her a soft kiss. "You're cute when you blush."

Amity just blushed harder, "I must be adorable."

"Awww young love!" The house demon smiled.

"Et tu Hooty?" Luz buried her face in her hands.  
\------------------

Amity sighed as she leaned against Luz as they walked. She knew they were going to have to move away from each other when they got closer to the manor. But for now the two girls just enjoyed each other's company.

"Thanks." Luz smiled softly, wrapping her arm around her.

"For?"

"Making today actually special."

Amity leaned up and kissed her, "Happy Birthday Luz."  
\----------------------

Edric and Emira greeted their sister as she opened the door. The twins exchanged a devilish smirk.

"Sooo what were you doing all afternoon." Emira purred.

"Or should we say who?" Edric grinned.

"We just got together. No."

"Well you definitely made out" Emira laughed, "unless you suddenly developed a very hickey like birthmark."

Amity blushed, "Dammit." She immediately put a hand on her neck.

"Oh relax, the wardens aren't home. You can borrow some of our concealer." Edric chuckled, ruffling his little sister's hair. Amity just hugged them, they smiled returning it. "Our little mittens is growing up" Edric fake sobbed.

"Soon she'll be getting married!" Emira laughed, while pretending to faint.

"And this is why you two are single." Amity sighed as she headed to her room.

"Mean!" The twins yelled.


	10. Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luz finds out about purrs  
> Emira gets hurt and finds out she is more loved than she knew.  
> Lilith tells the blight kids that they're hers now.

Luz and Amity were snuggled together in Amity's secret hideout, a book lay forgotten between them. Today was a rest day from training. Given Amity was close to falling asleep, it was definitely put to good use. 

Luz smiled as she watched her girlfriend's ears twitching her sleep. A thought popped into her head, she gently placed a hand on Amity's cheek. The sleeping girl snuggled into the contact, and a soft rumble could be heard. Luz grinned wildly, trying for the life of her not to squee. 'I knew they could purr!' She decided she couldn't help herself and gave the purring witch a soft kiss.

Amity's golden eyes blinked open, her ears twitched slightly. She gave Luz a sleepy smile, "what's got you all silly?"

"Your purr is so cute!" Luz squeed.

Amity's eyes widened, a deep scarlet covered her face, the soft rumble ceased and she looked a bit distressed, "I didn't know I was doing that..."

"It's okay, It's cute. Besides I have definitely heard Eda purring around me but she denies it." Luz's head turned as she noticed Amity's color didn't seem to change, "Am I missing something here?"

"Do humans not purr?" Amity blinked, suddenly being hit with the fact her girlfriend wasn't just a different species but from a different realm.

"Nope, be super cute if we did though."

"Well, purring is generally something done with people you trust or care about a lot. Usually family members." Amity explained trying to avoid Luz's curious gaze, "it's fairly common for children to purr every time they're happy or feeling distressed. However past a certain age, purring around people that aren't relatives is seen as childish."

"Well, I think it's adorable." Luz reassured, watching as Amity's features relaxed. They held hands, although Luz's fingers eventually gave gentle squeezes to Amity's nails, retracting them to their full claw. 

Amity snickered, "you having fun there?"

"They're so neat!" Luz brightened before looking a little self conscious, "I'm not bothering you am I?"

"No, it's just funny how something so normal makes you so happy."

"Humans don't have claws, and Eda always gets annoyed when I mess with her claws cause I kept messing up her nail polish."

Amity raised her hand already seeing a chip in her polish and laughed, "Titan you're an idiot."

"Your idiot!" Luz kissed near her girlfriend's ear. The purrs started anew as they cuddled close.  
\--------------------

"WITCHES DO PURR!" Luz yelled, grinning her face off as she pointed accusingly at the two sisters on the couch.

"Amity told you?" Eda groaned but a smirk formed on her face.

"Better, she purred for me." Luz bragged, her arms crossed, with a dopey grin on her face. The Clawthrone sisters exchanged a glance, their eyes widened.

"Didn't you start dating two months ago?" Lilith asked, a bit surprised.

"Yeah? Look I know it's something you really only do around family. But I think it's cute." Luz defended, a blush on her face.

"You have no idea what purring means do you." Eda chuckled.

"It has a meaning? I thought it was something ya know, you just did....when you were happy?" 

"In children yes, but as you get older purring tends to be something you do when you're comfortable around someone although it can also be a self comfort tool." Lilith explained, while Eda continued to laugh.

"It's an I love you without words kid." Eda smirked, as she watched Luz's face turn a bright scarlet. She flopped down on the sofa between the two witches.

"S-she...loves me" Luz stuttered, her stomach felt in knots as she tried to understand how someone as wonderful as Amity could love some boring human.

Eda sighed, sensing her kid's existential crisis, pulled her in for a hug, a deep rumbly purr that sounded like a lawn mower came from the owl lady. She had purred in front of Luz before, mostly when she was trying to sooth her from a nightmare. Open affection wasn't something Eda was good at, but this kid was more than worth the ribbing she would get from Lilith. What she didn't expect was her normally reserved older sister joining their hug, and letting out her own loud purr. 

Luz laughed, "I love you guys too."  
\----------------------------

Amity was laying flat on her bed, as the memory of purring in front of Luz played on loop. She buried her face in her pillow.

"Mittens!" Emira grinned from the door, flicking the lights on, "spill, we're having our gossip session."

"Yeah, we wanna know how your alone time with your girlfriend went." Edric smirked, poking the lump on the bed that was his little sister.

"Go away"

"Nope, something happened. You've kissed, now tell!' Emira smirked, squishing her sister.

"Nooo.....it's embarrassing."

"Aww come on Mittens, we won't tease you too badly." Edric chuckled.

Amity shoved Emira off her, and sat up, "equal exchange. How did asking out your crushes go?"

Edric turned a bright scarlet while Emira patted his back, "He chickened out. Ended up almost getting eaten by one of the carnivorous plants. Jerbo had to rescue him."

Amity snickered, "and I thought grom was bad."

Edric shot a glare at his twin, "bold words for someone who ended throwing her note in the gryphon pin and almost fell in shit."

Amity wheezed with laughter while the twins shot daggers at her, "Alright, Alright....I'll tell you what happened."

"Go on~" the twins sang, forgetting their bickering.

"I....I purred in front of Luz while we were cuddling."

"Oh my fucking Titan! You did?! How did she react?! I mean you haven't been dating for that long." Emira asked, a bit of worry in her voice.

"She doesn't purr Em."

"Plenty of demons don't purr." Edric added, looking a bit lost.

"She's not a demon Ed, she isn't from this realm....."

"Yeah....and?" They said, blinking.

"SHE HAS NO IDEA WHAT IT MEANT!" Amity yelled flopping face down on the bed.

"Wait you didn't tell her!?!" Emira said, shocked.

"I just said I loved her nonverbally and you wanted me to verbalize it right after?! I nearly died when I realized she heard me in the first place. I didn't even do it intentionally. I was half asleep."

"You confessed your love half asleep in a way that literally everyone but your girlfriend would understand. That is annoyingly on brand for us." Edric sighed, "Titan we're bad at this."

"Yep" his sisters agreed.  
\------------------------------

Amity sighed as she made her way to lunch, she didn't have any classes with Luz, and even if she did want to talk about it. Their relationship wasn't something they could display in public, as Odalia Blight had eyes and ears everywhere. Which is why Amity jumped when she felt someone poke her side. She turned so see Luz holding open a door that went through the lockers. Amity followed lunch in hand and felt relief when the door closed behind them. 

"Luz, I wanted to talk to you about yesterday...I-" Amity was cut off by a kiss, a blush covered her face as she stared at her smiling girlfriend.

"I love you too." She said, as it was as easy as breathing. 

Amity felt happy tears prick her eyes and she pounced her, knocking them both to the floor in a fit of giggles. The purrs began immediately as they snuggled, sharing their lunches with each other. It wasn't anything fancy or special but it didn't need to be. All they needed was each other. 

Lunch neared its end and they slipped back into the crowd, and aside from Luz who was sporting some fairly obvious hickies, everything was back to normal.  
\--------------------------------

Emira groaned, today had been shit. She and her siblings had been late to school because she had overslept, her mother had given her a bruised shoulder for that, she had forgotten about a quiz she had in one of her classes and she had once again managed to embarrass herself in front of Viney. Her crush had waved to her in the halls and Emira had been so distracted she fell down the stairs. Thankfully it was only four steps, however when your shoulder is already hurt, anything else is just salt on the wound. Today had been shit, and all she wanted to do was go to the owl house with her siblings and spend time with her m- Lilith. With Lilith, Luz, Eda and King. She corrected, living with her parents had taught her good things didn't last. Everything had a price or could be taken away. 

"Hey, you okay?" A soft voice asked.

Emira grumbled about to tell the offender to piss off, when she turned and saw Viney smiled at her. A blush covered her face and she stuttered from her thoughts, "Pfft yeah I'm fine."

"So it didn't hurt when you fell?" Viney said gently, worry on her face.

Emira felt her entire body freeze as the other girl stepped closer to her, she watched her eyes scanning her over, "when I fell...for you?" She mumbled barely above a whisper.

"I ask cause I noticed you've had your bag on the other shoulder all day." Viney smiled, "come on I'll take you to the healing track homeroom to get it checked out."

Emira was about to protest but when the other girl grabbed her hand and started to lead her down the hall, all complaints died in her throat. 

The walk itself wasn't terribly long, but Emira could hear her heart beat in her ears like it was going to jump out at her. They entered the now empty homeroom, the medicinal smell filled her nose. 

"Alrighty, mine taking off your shirt for me?" Viney smiled casually while digging through the cabinets for medical supplies.

"WHat" Emira yelped, her head finally catching up with the present.

"Well how else am I going to look at your shoulder? I can give you a medical gown if you'd be more comfortable." 

"Oh, um no it's fine." Emira laughed nervously as she began to pull off her top, her shoulder protested greatly and she couldn't help but wince. She hadn't had time to see how badly her mother had been to her shoulder, she just knew she wasn't going to be able to have her satchel on it for a while.

Viney sucked in a breath from behind Emira, walking up with a first aid kit and some potions. "That's definitely worse than I expected." 

Emira's ears flicked back and suddenly found it very hard to stare into the other girl's emerald eyes. She saw her lift the mirror and her eyes focused on the large purple bruise. "Those....darn stairs." She laughed weakly.

"Em, you fell down four small stairs. People fall down them all the time, I have treated some mild bruises and on rare occasions a twisted ankle. We both know where that came from." Viney said, her tone surprisingly stern for someone normally so chipper.

"It's fine, It will heal." She smiled wearily, "all the others did-"

"This isn't just something you can fucking brush off." Viney growled, but ceased when she saw the other girl start to curl up. "Em, it's okay. I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at your parents for hurting you." 

"I've made it this fair, it's not so bad....sometimes my dad is nice..." She mumbled, in a tone even she didn't believe.

Viney handed her shirt back to her, "Come on, put that back on. I don't think I have the right stuff to treat a bruise that bad. We're going to the owl house."

Emira jumped back, ears pinned to her head, "we don't need to worry them more. It's just a little bruise." 

"Emira." Viney paused, then turned back to face the other girl. Tears ran down her eyes, "I care about you. And I don't like seeing you hurt. I know there isn't much we can do. But I'm not letting you go untreated." 

She sighed, carefully doing her best to get her shirt back on, despite the pain. Her ears were still stuck in a submissive droop, and followed the other girl's lead once more.

The walk was longer and the cold winter air stung their faces and bit at their coats. Viney let go of Emira's wrist to intertwine their fingers. Both were hit with a blush.

"I...umm found your note when I was cleaning out the gryphon pens...."

Emira felt her face turn a deep red, and her heart raced as she hesitantly met her gaze, only for a soft kiss to be placed on her cheek.

"I like you too. I have for a while actually....I should have said something earlier but I wasn't quite sure what to say....well that and you're pretty cute when you're flustered."

"I.....really?" She asked, one ear slightly raised as if she had misunderstood what was said. 

Viney just let go of her hand, before cupping her cheeks and kissing her gently. Emira kissed back, closing her eyes only for it to end far sooner than she wanted.

"You want more, you have to let Lilith look at your shoulder." Viney grinned, booping her nose.

"Bribing me with kisses? How dare you do something that will one hundred percent work on me." Emira laughed, before interviewing their fingers again and leaning into the other girl's shoulder.

\-----------------------

Lilith was nervous, pacing a little bit in the living room.

"And here we have the raven lady as she frantically waits for the return of one of her chicks." Luz smirked in a mock British accent.

"She's hurt!" Lilith defended, as she continued to pace a line in the floor.

"She's with Viney, Lily. That's literally the best person aside from us to be hurt around." Eda reassured from her spot on the couch. 

"Guess who's her- OW HOOT" Hooty yelped as Lilith threw him open and immediately looked over Emira. 

"It's her shoulder." Viney said, before moving out of the older witch's way. 

Lilith placed a gentle hand over the injured shoulder and could feel the swollen bruise through her shirt sleeve. "Emira, honey, go upstairs and wait in the bathroom. I'll be up with the potions and some ice in a second. Okay?"

Emira nodded and carefully slunk upstairs, uncomfortable with the amount of eyes on her.

Lilith tilted her ear and waited til she heard a door close before turning to Edric and Amity who were sitting next to Eda and Luz on the couch. "What happened?"

"Emira woke up late...mother was mad." Amity said, not looking up at the older witch.

Lilith turned to Viney who looked like she was about to commit murder, "how bad-"

"Bad. She's lucky nothing is broken. If I had to guess, probably an abomination attack."

Lilith cast her eyes back at the other two Blights and saw them nod slightly. She felt her heart break. She went in the kitchen and grabbed an ice pack and went upstairs.

"I'm sorry....I didn't want to bug you with all this." Emira said, her ears drooping down.

Lilith gently placed a hand on the girl's cheek, "you and your siblings are never a bother." She watched as the teen looked up hesitantly, as if unsure how to process her words. Lilith grabbed a cream and bit back a growl as she saw the nasty purple bruise. She let out a deep breath and gently rubbed the cream on the injury. She watched the girl's ears, which easily gave away that she was still stressed. The older witch carefully bandaged the shoulder in a light compression and handed her a healing potion. Lilith snorted as she watched the teen's face scrunch as she drank the effective but gross tasting medicine. She helped the girl back into her shirt and they headed back downstairs.  
\------------------------

Amity and Edric sat on the sofa waiting pensively for their sister to come back down. They both felt slightly guilty as they watched the others training outside but Eda insisted they could take training off today. They both perked up immediately when they saw their sister walking down the stairs and Lilith not far behind. The siblings hugged and headed towards the door to train.

"Nope, you're not allowed. Especially Emira. You three are coming with me today." Lilith smiled softly. 

They all looked confused but followed her to what was once the study but now served as Lilith's bedroom. The witch, while not having the curse as long as her sister, had already started her own nest. Although hers was made of blankets and pillows. They were about to ask what they were doing when Lilith pulled them into a hug and purred softly. The three blinked, and looked at her with hope and with fear.

"You three have become very important in my life, and although there isn't much I can do to keep you away from those two. And I know I have told you before that you are welcome here whenever you feel unsafe at home or need to get away. But I'm saying it again because I love you three as if you were my own. You're bright, kind and full of trouble and one of the best things in my life." 

The three just hugged her and purred, and Lilith purred back. They spent their time snuggled together watching some old movie. The teens weren't paying much attention though, they just purred enjoying the feeling of finally having a mom.


	11. Coming together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mission gets out of hand  
> The parents get involved   
> Jerbo and Edric get together

Edric snickered from behind his mask as shook the can of spray paint. He had become an excellent tagger after months of their rebellion, decided to take a bit more liberties defacing public property. The Golden emblem of the emperor's coven that towered over the 4th court house like a glaring eagle over a field of mice was now mangled and tagged. A very large penis was spray painted on the remains, with enough detail that it was guaranteed to be censored when the media covered this assault. Well it would be if Edric didn't immediately cast a spell Eda had taught him that bypassed the censors. The teen stood back and grinned with pride at his work.

Emira and Luz who had also done a fair share of more graphic and lewd tags walked over, the latter of which let out a whistle.

"That is truly a masterpiece." Luz grinned, pretending to wipe a tear from her eye behind the mask.

"That is a truly glorious cock." Emira laughed, placing an arm around her twin.

"Ooo, high praise from a lesbian." Edric smirked, which caused his two companions to wheeze with laughter.

Their mirth was short lived as an alarm filled the air. Panic raced through them as they hit their intercoms.

"What happened?!" Luz yelled into the mic.

"There was a hidden trigger in something we smashed. We need to hurry up and get the hell out of here before-" Amity was cut off as the coven guards poured in.

Edric and Emira immediately drew a circle and then jumped when the guards started throwing fireballs at them. They watched in horror as one hit the bag with the spray paint. They ran as they heard it explode behind them.

"Where is everyone?! They're setting the building on fire. We need to leave." Emira screamed into the intercom. 

"We're on the fourth floor. We're coming down now." Jerbo called, as he, Viney and Barcus ran towards the stairs. 

"We're down on the first floor. Willow and I will make an exit. Gus. Distract them." Amity ordered.

Willow grabbed a seed in her pocket and vines erupted from it, smashing the guards through the doors. The guards still standing continued their assault, now with abominations. Amity matched some with her own, and grinned when suddenly a giant ice column appeared in the increasingly smoke filled room. 

Luz jumped down from it, the twins followed. Each throwing their own attacks. 

"Viney, Jerbo, Barcus, where are you?!" Amity yelled into the intercom, as the coven guards grew vines that cracked through the burning floors. Hot ash fell onto the teens, only barely defected by Gus and the twins. 

"On our way, we have a bit of an iss-" Viney was caught off as they heard part of the ceiling collapse above them, instinct drove them forward as they reached the bottom of the stairs which were lit ablaze, the coven guards waiting outside the door. The three cast a shield spell and ran through the flames, ramming into the guards, who screamed as the fire on the teens spread to them. Jerbo summoned a plant abomination who smashed its way through the remaining guards. They ran faster as they heard another rumble, as more of the ceiling started to collapse. The plant abomination threw up its arms as a beam fell down on it. It struggled to hold its shape and the load as the teens ran past it. They made it to the lobby just as the ceiling collapsed behind them.

Eda and Lilith were throwing glyphs and blasting away the guards, finally making a hole big enough for the nine to escape.

"Hurry up, there's more guards coming!" Eda screamed into the intercom as the teens ran out of the burning building. Lilith quickly stuck a stolen power glyph on her and Eda's staff as they all climbed on. They flew quickly, as they watched the fully ablaze courthouse grow smaller in the distance. The only thing still visible was the smoke.  
\------------------------

Eda and Lilith still heard their hearts beating in their eyes as they treated the burns on their brood. They felt some relief that despite everything, no one was seriously injured. Although there were definitely some marks that would scar, none were life threatening. However the images of any of their kids, burning alive still flashed in the sisters' minds. 

"Well, that could have gone better." Luz smiled weakly, as Eda rubbed burn cream on her arm.

"We're taking a break from our attacks." Eda said sternly as she looked down at the injured teens, "the emperor's coven have gotten better at security and less cautious with their attacks. Lilith and I will be coming with a new strategy while you heal up."

"We can also find out better ways to counter spell-"

"No." Eda snapped at her ward, then immediately felt regret, "you can research it if you want....just right now...rest. You could have gotten seriously hurt and I don't think any of us could live with ourselves if something happened to any of you."

The teens seemed to want to protest but a look on their mentors' faces silenced them. They changed out of their smoke scented clothes and went their separate ways. The smoke lingered in the air.  
\-----------------------------

Brian and Calum Park weren't stupid. They were aware one of her friends was the human ward of the owl lady, and although they were grateful that she had repaired her friendship with Amity. They were scared things were getting out of hand. They had pretended they didn't notice the door opening late at night, the decoys in the bed and the occasional spray paint on the girl's hands. Tonight was different. Tonight their only child came walking in with the smell of a fire on her skin. She walked more carefully up the stairs, as if something hurt and she was trying not to aggravate it. She jumped when they flipped the light switch.

"Dad, Papa.....I was...ummm-" Willow thought, desperately trying to think of anything to say that would make it look less like she was sneaking in.

"We know Willow." Brian said, his deep voice rumbled in his chest as he crossed his burly arms.

The fifteen year old gulped, "Know?"

"You're part of the Clawthrone sisters Rebellion." Calum frowned, as he leaned against his husband. 

Willow deflated, "Yeah...I am."

"Willow, sweetheart, we love you but this is dangerous. You could get seriously hurt." Calum said, fear filled his voice as he placed his hand on his daughter's cheek.

"They tried to kill my friends. They hurt people everyday. Someone has to stand up for what is right. Isn't that what you always taught me? To stand up for myself and others." Willow shot back, leaning her weight against the wall to keep it off her burnt ankle.

"Yes, but not at the cost of your own safety. Please sweetie, think of us." Brian begged.

"Then who's? Whose safety is less important that it's okay for them to fight for what is right? Luz? Amity? Gus? Do their lives suddenly matter less? They have people who care about them too. What about when I have kids of my own? Is it okay for them to suffer from the same hands that I could have tried to defeat." 

"Willow, you're fighting the Emperor. The leader of the boiling isles!" Calum cried.

"Yeah, cause he hurts people. And no one else is going to do anything about it. But my friends and I will."

Brian felt a mix of fear and pride as he saw the sharpness in his daughter's eyes. She had become so much more confident in herself in the almost year that past since she met the human. She was stronger than he had believed. Tears still ran down his face, "Willow.....darling. Your dad and I love you more than anything in the world. We couldn't bear to lose you."

"I know Papa, and I love you too. You guys are the best. And you taught me the importance of doing what's right. I can't sit by and watch people get hurt because they don't fit in. And I certainly can't watch my friends fight for their rights and not help them."

Calum and Brian shared a look, they were scared. They wanted to protect their daughter more than anything else. They also knew she was going to do this regardless of what they did to stop her. That at the end of the day, they'd rather her be honest with them and be able to help her than have her sneak behind their backs. They pulled their daughter into a tight hug.

"Tomorrow, we're going to the owl house with you. We're not letting you fight this without us." Calum smiled through his tears as he held his daughter's face, "My little girl. You've become so grown up."

"I love you too Dad."

\-----------------------

Eda wasn't entirely shocked when after school most of her teens showed up with parents in tow. Most with looks of anger and hurt in their eyes. Some seemed almost proud. But the vast majority looked like if given the chance, her head would be on the nearest pike. She had expected this to happen eventually. However, she wasn't exactly ready for it to be today. Then again, she doubted anyone would be ready for a mass of angry parents. The worst part was, she couldn't even blame them. She wondered vaguely if her agreeing with most of their points would save her from their wrath. 

"Should I stop them?" Hooty asked, stretching his head into the living room.

"No, I think this is just music I have to face." Eda sighed, "Lilith!"

"What Eda- That is a lot of people...."

"Yep."

"We're going to have to talk to their parents."

"Yep."

"Well.....let's get this shit show over with." Lilith groaned as Eda opened the door.

Brian and Calum Park were the first pair through. Brian was a member of the construction coven and he looked like it. Calum Park was a potion maker, neither were particularly high ranking in their fields. They weren't bad by any means but they weren't from particularly rich or powerful bloodlines. Which was where most of those at the top of their covens came from. 

Richard Hoar, Viney's father was next through the door. He was a member of the Beast keeping coven and worked as a farm hand. He towered over his daughter, and made Brian look small by comparison. He was a single father, Viney's mom had left when she was young, and had a fairly mean looking resting face. 

Maggie and Esmerelda Stilwell were next, Jerbo followed behind his mothers nervously. Maggie was in the plant track, and worked in a flower shop. Esmerelda was an oracle, her brown eyes looked sharply at the Clawthrone sisters. 

Ann and James Sirius were next, Barcus walked behind them with his tail between his legs. They were both in the healing coven where they worked as nurses. They both had an unreadable expression on their faces but their fur stood on their heckles when they walked in.

Perry and Rose Porter were fuming when they walked in. Perry especially looked like he was about to pop a blood vessel while Rose, a member of the baker's coven, glared daggers at the two sisters.

Luz and the Blight siblings, who had been having their tea time, walked into the living room and immediately moved to stand by their mother figures.

Eda sighed, already tired of the tension in the room, "So who wants to go first?"

"HOW DARE YOU INVOLVE THESE CHILDREN IN YOUR PETTY FEUD WITH THE EMPEROR." Rose growled, her ears pinned back like an angry cat. 

Lilith was about to respond when Viney's father cut her off.

"PETTY FEUD?! THESE KIDS ARE STANDING UP FOR THEIR RIGHTS!" Richard snapped, bearing his fangs. 

Eda and Lilith blinked a little at that, and were even more surprised when some of the other parents nodded. 

"Rights to what? Vandalism and arson?" Perry asked hotly.

"Rights, Mr. Porter, to be free to be themselves. Not all our children fit perfectly into a coven track." Esmerelda glared at the reporter. 

"Also you covered the Nighthawks attacks, you know they have never done arson. Our kids got burned. The damn emperor's coven were the ones who threw the fireballs. Your bosses just have the Emperor's thumb up their ass." Maggie shouted, putting a hand on her wife's shoulder in support.

"They shouldn't have been there in the first place! This isn't their fight!" Rose argued, fury still clear in her voice.

"Then whose fight is it gonna be?" Calum asked, incredulously, "they chose to stand up for this when no one else would."

"And here I thought they were going to be mad at us." Eda said quietly, pulling a bag of hex mix from her hair.

"I know, right?" Lilith agreed.

Ann snarled at the sisters, who easily translated her barks to, We're getting to you two. 

"They're children. They shouldn't be involved!" Rose shouted.

"Oh we agree on that!" Eda added, smiling. Which caused everyone in the room aside from Lilith to turn to look at her in shock. "What? You think I willingly wanted my kid to be involved in overthrowing the government?! Titan no. I tried to get her to leave for the human world as soon as I thought she was going to get killed. I didn't even know her, Willow and Gus tried to steal the healing hat from the Emperor's castle."

The Parks and the Porters made a choking noise as they looked at their respective child. Both of whom smiled sheepishly at their parents. 

"We didn't force them into this. They wanted to fight, and we have been doing our best to make sure they don't get hurt. They were going to start this rebellion with or without our help. Frankly, I'd rather be able to help them than have them sneaking around behind our backs." Lilith said, honestly.

"Like they have been doing with us?" Maggie snapped and the other parents nodded.

"Okay, exactly what did you want us to say? Gus growled, "Hey parents, we're trying to overthrow the government."

"We didn't want you more worried about us." Viney confessed, her ears drooping downwards.

"Mom, Mama, I know how scared you were about finding a coven, let alone trying to change the government." Jerbo said quietly.

"We also were worried that you'd get our friends in trouble by calling the guard." Gus added, calmer now that he got his anger out.

Willow looked down at the floor, "We were scared too."

Barcus whined, looking up at his parents.

The adults' rage quieted as they saw the teens gather closer together. None of them were thrilled about this whole arrangement, not even the adults who helped them. They were parents, they wanted their children to be safe. They also wanted them to be themselves, and all of them knew that they had been stifled by the coven system. Hands instinctively went over their coven brands, remembering vaguely the freedom they used to have when their magic wasn't restricted. 

Richard turned to the Clawthrone sisters, "Sign me up for your rebellion."

"Us too." The Parks smiled.

The Stilwells nodded, and the Siruises barked in agreement.

The Porters looked a bit red, as they found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place. They looked at their son who stared back at them defiantly. They sighed realizing they were outnumbered and nodded. 

The unbreakable vow was cast, and the rebellion had new albeit reluctant members.   
\--------------------

Jerbo smiled as he walked over to Edric, classes hadn't started yet and he finally had a chance to talk to him. He watched as the other boy pulled out a potion from his locker and drank it. 

"You okay?" Jerbo asked, blinking as Edric jumped back, "shit, I didn't mean to startle you."

"Oh, it's you....yeah I'm fine. Well now....mother took away my hormone potions again. But mom- Lilith made me some to keep in my locker. So my hormones don't go out of whack." 

"That's good, that you have the extras I mean." Jerbo corrected, blush coloring his face. 'I'm failing so hard' he thought.

"Yeah...well I need to get going to my homeroom."

"Do you want to have lunch together?" Jerbo asked quickly.

"Really? I....um sure." Edric coughed as he blushed tomato red. 

The boys quickly parted, cheering slightly when they were out of the other's view. 

The morning seemed to drag on forever. Jerbo could barely focus on his work. That was until the Abomination professor had them get into pairs. He blinked as Amity sat next to him, he smiled weakly.

After he grabbed the wrong ingredient for the abomination goo for the third time, Amity finally snapped.

"Alright. What is up. You're never this spacey. You're literally the only other person who is better at this than me."

He felt his ears droop as she looked at him expectantly, "I'm going to tell your brother I like him at lunch today...and I'm scared."

"Jerbo, he is head over heels for you. He has been doodling Edric Stilwell in his notebooks when he is bored" 

"Wait what, I mean I knew he liked me....fuck what if I mess up. Or he finds out I'm not as cool as he is."

"Pfft, please. Trust me. You're the one slumming in this pair. He is a giant dork." Amity laughed, patting the upperclassmen on the arm.

"Yeah but I mean. He's a Blight. You're from this powerful rich family. And I'm just a normal guy."

"Blight is an unfortunate title we carry, none of us want it. The fact that you're not from a rich powerful family is what makes you so refreshing to him. You have parents whose expectations of you are to do something that makes you happy. You do what you love and in your own way. That's what he likes. You want Ed to be himself. That is all he ever wanted from anyone."

Jerbo felt a giddy smile form on his face as he helped Amity finish their abomination. He felt better than he had in awhile about his confession to Edric. And that good mood carried him to lunch.

Edric stood leaning against the wall, with his normal carefree smile and Jerbo suddenly felt his heart and bile sac jump in his throat. 'Fuckin. No we're not getting melted by his cute smile. We have a mission' He thought and he clenched his hands into fists.

"Hey so you ready for lun- Are you okay? You look....constipated." Edric asked with concern.

"I'm fine, come on." Jerbo grabbed his hand and went to the nearest secret door. He kept his eyes forward on his goal but if he looked behind him he would have seen the bright red his crush was turning at the hand contact.

Edric grinned madly as he looked around the secret room, "This is amazing!"

"Yeah..." Jerbo cleared his throat, he unintentionally tightened his grip on the other boy's hand, they looked at each other and blushed. Jerbo felt his free hand start to shake, "Edric.....I like you...romantically."

Edric felt his face burning as he stared at his crush, "really?" 

Jerbo smiled at the shorter boy and leaned down to kiss him, "Yeah...I have been meaning to ask you out....I just didn't know what you'd see in-" He was cut off as the other boy jumped on him, kissing him deeply.

"You're not afraid to be yourself. And what you are is weird, silly and one of the kindest people I have ever met." Edric smiled resting his head on his chest.

"You're not so bad yourself." Jerbo smirked before the two burst out laughing at what they were ever so scared of.


	12. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lilith has her first transformation from the curse  
> Eda and Lilith have a heart to heart  
> Cute blight moments   
> Things start catching up to the rebellion   
> The teens make a choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, thank you all for reading and commenting. I really appreciate all the kudos and I do read every comment. I hope you all enjoy. Sorry for any spelling errors. It wasn't beta'd. Speaking of, Luz and the others will start looking more like their beta forms as they get older.

Lilith woke with a violent cough, she felt her body ache, and looked to see feathers poking from her skin. Her hands stretched and her claws suddenly couldn't be retracted. Her mind slowly felt foggy as she desperately tried to get to the bathroom for one of the potions. She fell as her back started to shift into something not meant to be upright. She screamed as she felt herself morph, her body twisting and cracking as it changed form.

"Lilith!" Voices called out, the last thing she saw was green hair and golden eyes before her consciousness was shoved into the back of her mind. 

The raven beast was thinner and more human than Eda had been when she was in her owl beast form. It walked on all fours, with its hands and feet more claw than paw. It's eyes were black and it's feathers were a bright red with a stripe of grey. It growled at the twins, it's feathers puffing up making it look almost the same size as the owl beast. The twins opened the door and ran towards the stairs, as the beast chased after them. She pounced them, her fangs bared. 

Edric and Emira whimpered, a clawed hand pressing down on them. "Mom... please." They cried.

The raven beast's head tilted at the word, her face moved closer as the twins shook with fear. She sniffed them, moved her paw and picked them up by their shirts with her teeth, as she dragged them back to her nest. She placed them down gently before laying on top of them. A loud growl like purr erupted from the raven beast's throat as it laid down to sleep. 

The twins laid under the raven beast for what felt like an hour as they waited for her breathing to slow. A loud snore came from the beast and they slowly wiggled their way to freedom. Edric managed to pull himself out and turned to help his sister. They slowly creeped their way out of the room, making sure every step was as quiet as possible. They were the masters of sneaking out of Blight manor, this wasn't too terribly different. Aside from being sat on by a giant feathery monster that is also basically your mom. They made it halfway up the stairs when they heard a loud shriek from the beast, and they darted up the rest of the way. The raven beast's large paws thumped loudly on the floor. 

"What in the hell is going on?" Eda yawned as she opened the door to her room.

"Guys, it's early." Amity groaned, coming out of Luz's room, the latter of which looked half awake and was leaning on her girlfriend.

"Some of us value our sleepy time!" King grumbled, following the other two out of the room.

The twins were about to explain when they saw the eyes of the others grow wide and the felt hot breath on their backs. 

"Lily?" Eda blinked at the beast, which paid her little mind as it reached out scooping Amity closer before picking up all three Blight siblings by their shirts and carrying them back downstairs.

King stretched, "yay more space in the bed for me" as he ran back into Luz's room.

"Did....Did Lilith just take them and leave?" Luz asked, her tired brain trying desperately to process what exactly she just witnessed.

"Come let's go get the potion before she eats them." Eda sighed as she grabbed one of her potions. 

The pair quickly made it down the stairs, towards Lilith's room to find her sitting on the twins while holding Amity down and licking her. The young witch's hair stood up in a giant cowlick, and only grew more and more damp. 

"Luz, help get her off of me!" Amity called.

The human sucked in her lips, trying desperately not to smile as she quickly realized what was happening, however it didn't stop her from letting out a happy squeak.

The raven beast turned away from the girl, getting up from its nest. It's feathers puffed out and she spread her wings, making herself as large as possible. 

Eda snorted at the display, "For fuck sake, we're not going to hurt your babies." 

The raven beast roared then coughed slightly as Eda threw the potion, bottle and all into her sister's mouth. The beast wobbled, before collapsing on top of the blights with a heavy plop. 

"Dead weight. So much. Help." Edric wheezed from underneath the mass of feathers. His sisters squeaked in agreement.

"She'll shrink back to normal in a bit. Besides I'm all out of construction coven glyphs." Eda yawned.

"We can't just leave them under there." Luz protested.

"Okay, you've had a growth spurt lately. Let's see if your lanky nerd arms can move a giant mass of grouchy feathers." 

Luz, who had grown a few inches in the ten months she had been on the boiling isles, grabbed Lilith's beastly leg and gave her best effort to pull her off. This did almost nothing except cause Lilith to kick the human into the wall. Luz let out an oof as she fell to the floor, uninjured but definitely winded. She lifted her head slightly and watched as the beast slowly began to shrink back into her correct shape. The human had seen this many times before with Eda, but it never made it seem any less painful. Bones just shouldn't bend like that. 

Lilith groaned as she woke up, her bed seemed to move underneath her and consisted of a lot more elbows that she remembered. She yelped slightly as one seemed to dig into her already aching side, and raised her head as she saw her three teens escape from her blanket nest, the youngest of which looked a bit like she had been licked to death by a hellhound. She was just about to ask what happened when she felt something stuck in her throat and she wretched up an empty potion bottle and a cork. "Oh...I transformed."

"Yep." Eda said, helping her sister sit up.

"I feel a bit like I was trampled."

"Pfft, and that's with only half of it." Eda laughed.

Lilith's ears flattened, as the weight of her sister's words buried deep in her chest, "I'm so sorry Edalyn. I can't imagine the amount of pain I've cau-"

Eda waved her off, "Sis this was hilarious. Don't ruin it by being sappy."

"Hilarious? I transformed into a monster?"

"Yeah and the first thing you did was fucking go all mama bird on the baby blights. For fuck sake, Amity apparently smelled too much like Luz and you gave her a tongue bath." Eda wheezed with laughter, rolling on the floor as her sister's face turned a bright scarlet.

Lilith immediately looked at the teens, now noticing some red feathers stuck on their pajamas. "I am so so sorry."

"Hey, you didn't eat us. I'll take that as a win. Besides, I think Mittens looks pretty good with her new hair- ouch" Edric yelped as Amity elbowed him in the ribs. 

"Sis, that's no way to treat Ed! Especially after he complimented your h- Oof" Emira squeaked as Amity shoved her, before grabbing her girlfriend's hand and leaving. The twins giggled as they left making their way back to their spot in the living room.

Eda yawned and moved away only for Lilith to grab her wrist. "Eda, I'm seriously sorry for all the pain this curse has caused you. I was an idiot and let my pride get in the way."

Eda leaned back against the wall next to her sister. "You fucked up. Really badly that day. I lost my magic, and I almost lost my kid. But you've also helped me take care of her and even more kids. You're helping me keep them safe as we're attempting to overthrow the very person you used to work for. You're not the same kid who cursed me, and you're certainly not the coven leader who kept trying to capture me. You're a better person than them. And I forgive you."

"Why..."

"Cause, you've given me my big sister back. We're on the same side again. And as scared as I am about how much this rebellion is escalating, personally, I don't think I've been happier. I have you, our dumb kids, hooty, and King. I don't think our family has ever been this big. And I get to watch them spray paint penises on government buildings."

Lilith snorted loudly despite herself, "Only you would take pride in that last one."

"Oh come on. It's your kid that does most of them. Honestly, he's actually pretty good at it. I mean they're graphic but the detail is " Eda did a chef's kiss and Lilith wheezed.

"Thanks, seriously for giving me another chance. I don't think I'll ever deserve it but I'm grateful for it. I don't think I've been this happy either."

"Meh, deserve is overrated. No one gets what they think they deserve, good or bad. We get what we're given and we make the best of it. I certainly didn't deserve to get such a wonderful kid thrown my way, but I did. And she's one of the best things in my life. And most important thing that stupid kid has taught me is that we all can change."

"We have some really good kids." Lilith smiled.

Eda grinned, pride filling her chest, "Yeah, we really do." A smirk formed on her face, "have fun giving the talk to Edric and Jerbo."

"They're 17, I'm just going to throw birth control and condoms at them and be done with it."

Eda snorted loudly clutching her sides, "Well that isn't very informative."

"Okay, Jerbo has two moms that I'm sure have given him a decent understanding of sex. Also out of all the ones my kids are dating he is literally the least likely to be a moron. Whereas Viney will run towards dangerous wild animals and Luz is....Luz"

"Fair points, however he is also dating Edric. The most trouble of your three little greenies."

Lilith grumbled, "I'll talk to Ed about birth control in the morning. Right now I'm tired."

Eda smiled patting her sister's back, "G'night Lilith."

"Night Eda."  
\----------------------------------

Edric walked into the living room, his expression was one of mild horror.

"Lilith give you the talk?" Amity smirked, enjoying the karma.

Edric nodded, plopping down on the sofa, in between them.

"That lasted longer than when she gave me and Viney the talk." Emira laughed, as her brother sunk deeper into the sofa.

"That's cause you're both cis. She spent twenty minutes going over the different types of birth control options....." He groaned, burying his face in his hands.

Amity and Emira snickered, patting their brother gently, "She's trying her best. At least she cares." His twin smiled, reassuringly.

Edric felt a bit of warmth fill his chest, "yeah, I do appreciate it. Even if talking about sex with her is mildly mortifying."

"I mean it's better than our actual parents." Amity added, "they gave us a book and told us if we got pregnant before we were married they'd kill us."

"Jesus christ, why did they even have children?" Luz exclaimed from the stairs. 

"To carry on the blight family bloodline." Emira said as if that were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ya know, sometimes I think I've reached my max hatred for your parents and every time I find a new level." 

"Lol same." Edric grinned. 

"Titan, if we weren't doing so many illegal things I would put you all in therapy so fast." Lilith sighed as she walked in, gently ruffling the teens' hair as she passed them.

"Hah, you showed us parental love and affection and now we're your problem~" Emira sang, a mischievous grin on her face.

Lilith stopped, and stood in front of the teens that were piled on the couch, "That's not true. None of you are ever a problem. Even when you get into trouble. Cause I chose to do this. And being with you kids and watching you grow is a delight and I couldn't be more proud of all of you."

Luz smiled softly as the blights looked up with watery eyes. Edric looked up, "how dare you turn our self deprecating humor and turn it into a moment of maternal love. That's our main weakness."

"Cause someone needs to help with your positive self image. And also it's adorable how quickly you all melt." Lilith smirked, before giving them kisses on their forehead. "Now hurry up and change. We have training today."

"Yes Mom." The three Blights smiled.

"Yes auntie." Luz laughed following them up the stairs.

Lilith just shook her head, smiling at the four teens.  
\----------------------

"Another Nighthawk protest was shut down today by coven guards. This time outside Glandis High. The city of Larynx issued a mandatory curfew for everyone past midnight and people below the age of eighteen past ten. The protest was made up of mostly students from Glandis high, and they did not go quietly when the guards arrived. The stand off between the protesters and the guards lasted for almost two hours with the guards resorting to throwing tear gas at protesters, who returned fire with smoke bombs. Of the protesters, five were sent to the conformitorium, four were sent to the hospital with injuries and seven were sent to juvenile detention centers. The guards suffered six minor injuries and one guard was badly burned by an attack. This is the fifth protest by this terrorist group that has turned violent this week. With more and more riots breaking out across the isles. This has been Rita Wright Reporting, sending you back to Bonesborough."

"Hello everyone, Perry Porter here, standing outside of the ashes of our government center. The first case of a repeated attack by the original Nighthawks, who came to blows with our coven guards last night. The guards had of course been increasing security on all government buildings since their looting began. This of course was the second case of arson by the Nighthawks. The first being our fourth courthouse. This one however became more dangerous as some of the tear gas bombs that were thrown were flammable and caused it to spread. It's unknown of any of the attackers were injured during the exchange, however five of the guards had minor injuries, three were sent to the hospital, two of which are currently in critical condition. One guard was found dead crushed under falling rubble after the fire was put out. The mayor of Bonesborough recently passed ordinances banning anyone under the age of eighteen to be out past ten without an adult. The emperor's coven also recently passed a grant to all schools on the isles to help increase security. Kikimora, the current head of the emperor's coven, has asked us to support the families of the guards affected during these trying times. And from our news family to yours, stay safe out there. This has been Perry Porter, signing out."

The teens sat silently as a commercial started to play on the orb. Eda turned it off and looked at her brood. None had been badly hurt, as Eda had knitted them some clothes out of magic and fireproof string. Lilith had improved their masks to allow them to filter out smoke. They however weren't able to protect against the guilt in their kids. They each looked like they had personally murdered that guard. Eda sighed turning to them. "What happened back there wasn't your fault."

"They died because of our attack." Luz said, her voice strained, as tears ran down her face.

"Did any of you use any fire spells?" Eda countered, watching as they all shook their heads no. "You didn't have any spray paint with you, and all of your smoke bombs were just smoke. They certainly weren't enough to start a fire. The guards threw fire at you, the guards threw tear gas bombs that caused the fire to spread. You all have been doing this long enough to know how not to cause structural damage to a property. The guards hurt themselves. They're just scapegoating us because the emperor controls the funding to the media. They don't report the truth. They report whatever makes the emperor's coven look best."

Lilith turned to the tearful looks on their faces, "unfortunately, this is the new normal now. The rebellion is rising and increasing in support everyday. However, it's starting to boil over. We have done our best to protect you from this but I fear that is no longer in our control. This is only going to get more dangerous. I understand more than most the guilt you must feel. But you're not responsible for their death, and the only people whose safety I want you to prioritize in our attacks on public property is the people in this room. Guards signed up to do a job where they could get hurt. That's part of being in the emperor's coven. Your movement is important, and none of you can do it if you die. At the end of the day, I, Eda and your parents care about your safety. So if they're attacking you and trying to hurt you. Don't pull your punches. I don't want you to kill people if you don't have to, but if it's between your life and there's. Yours is more important to me. And if you want to leave or stop. I understand. None of you should have to do this. You're all still kids. And I won't hold it against you if you leave."

"Fuck No." Luz said, her voice sharp as a knife, "There are people our age that have already been carrying our movement and risking their safety for it. I'm not going to stop fighting. I started this when I stood up to Belos. I'm not going to let other people fight the battle that I started."

"They've already tried to kill our family members before we started this rebellion. I'm not letting you fight without me. I helped Luz try to steal the healing hat. If they want to fight. They're gonna have to go through me." Willow growled.

"We shouldn't have to restrict our magic or who we are just because that's what some tyrannical dickhead wants." Viney sneered.

"Is everyone staying in the bad bitch coven then?" Eda smirked, watching as the teens' faces morphed from guilt to determination.

"Fuck yeah!" They cheered, although it sounded more like a group growl. 

"Alright, get ready. Your training is going to become a lot more difficult and a lot more frequent. You're going against trained soldiers. You'll all need to increase your strength and stamina if you wanna keep up with the actually well trained guards." Eda warned but only watched as they all seemed to nod. "Alright, go get ready." She watched as the nine walked up the stairs to change into their training clothes.

"Edalyn, what are we doing?" Lilith asked, fear in her voice.

"The only thing we can, Lily. They're going to keep fighting, we need to at least give them a chance. We knew we couldn't protect them forever."

"I...just wish we had more time for them to be kids."

"Yeah....me too."


	13. Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The largest protest against covens is going to happen soon. The teens want to be there. The adults fear what the emperor's coven is going to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets heavy. I left a trigger warning in it so you know where to stop reading. Wasn't beta'd. Hope you enjoy. Also there is some underage drinking.

The cafeteria was a buzz, as news of another Nighthawk protest floated around. No one knew who had started the idea, but it spread like a wildfire amongst the students. Many people seemed to share the belief that the coven system was restrictive and that people should be allowed to be themselves. Somewhere in the grape vine it was decided that it would be held outside the night market, as guards tended to be much more lax around there as many were paid off. 

The actual founding members of the Nighthawks were both ecstatic that their movement was catching on even in Bonesborough, and very confused on who actually started the idea of this protest. They had exchanged glances at each other and found out it was none of them. They all opened their scrolls, to see that Penstagram was flooded and the Nighthawk Peaceful Protest Page, somehow also not run by any of them, had the event listed on the stop of their story. The number of people listed as showing up only seemed to grow with each refresh. 

"This is great, we don't have to do any looting, or spray painting. We just walk around hold up signs. Shout protests at people." Luz, still the ever hopeful optimist, grinned at her scroll, leaning against her girlfriend.

They had decided to meet in the tunnels under hexside for this impromptu meeting, as they worried people would start catching on to their other secret hideout. Gus had made surprisingly decent progress, especially considering he was now stealing supplies from the construction track homeroom. 

"The last few protests turned violent, with the guards attacking protesters." Amity countered.

"Well that's all the more reason for us to go. We've been training harder than ever for months now. We can help protect them." Luz smiled, she flexed slightly, and giggled as her girlfriend blushed at the lean muscle.

"Hell yeah! What better way to make it an official protest than us actually being there!" Edric cheered, earning him a kiss from his boyfriend.

Barcus whined, looking nervously at his friends. 

"Barcus, these are our classmates and friends. Even if something happens, they're doing this because of us. If something bad could happen it's all the more reason for us to show up." Viney said firmly. The dog demon seemed to relent, finding comfort in their group's strength.

"Well then it's settled, this Friday we're going to the protest." Willow said, as they put their hands in for a group huddle.

"Nighthawks!" They all yelled happily.

\------------------------------

Lilith carefully measured the ingredients, she had fallen out of a lot of her potion making skills, however there were a few she could make in her sleep. Her first few years in the emperor's coven, she, like many of the recruits from the potion track, made the tear gas bombs and smoke bombs. It was tedious work, and she had despised the monotony, but she had been exceptional at it. She carefully placed the last ingredient in the bottle. She swirled the liquid around as it quickly formed a fog in the bottle, and placed it next to the rest. She had labeled them based on how recent the formula was used and the strength. Carefully she lifted the boxes and headed for the yard. "Eda, I need your help"

Eda appeared, setting down the time she was reading and grabbed one of the boxes, "so what's with all the tear gas and smoke bombs? Getting nostalgic for your old job?" She teased.

"No, I wanted to test out a hypothesis I had regarding the causes of the fire."

"The dumb guards were throwing fireballs in a building made of wood and filled with paper. I think that caused the fire."

"Yes but they mentioned that the tear gas from the guards and the smoke bombs we threw added fuel to the flames."

"Smoke bomb potions aren't flammable, trust me. I've tried to make them flammable. It doesn't work. All they do is explode. There's not even any smoke."

"Yes, I remember. You nearly gave granny a heart attack."

"Heh, yeah. Then she helped me."

"Yeah that sounds about right..." Lilith sighed, placing the boxes on the ground.

"Ooo, what game are you playing? Can I help?!" Hooty offered.

"We're not playing Hooty. Lily is trying to see if she can set these potions on fire." Eda smiled, holding up a stack of fire glyphs, her staff in the other hand.

"Alright" Lilith handed her sister one of their more recent designs on their Nighthawk masks, before putting on one herself. "This should protect us from the tear gas. Now I throw the potions, you throw the glyphs."

"This has to be your best experiment ever." Eda grinned.

The sisters started their task, repeating it again and again. Lilith carefully marked down the results as she watched the potions hardly react to the flames. Each time, the flame seemed almost to get suppressed by the chemicals in the tear gas. Dread filled the ex coven leader's throat. "This isn't good."

"You're telling me, I thought there'd be a big whoosh of flames. That's what happened at the government center."

"Eda, I think they switched them to something else to make us seem worse."

"How the hell does burning down their own building help their cause."

"They didn't report the fire as being caused by the guard. They reported that we started the fire. By having their guards essentially throwing explosives at us, not only increases their chances of getting rid of us. They also used us as a scapegoat for the guards who got injured."

"That or they could be testing for something worse." Eda said, eyes widened.  
\-----------------------

Lilith carefully heated up the water for the tea, as Eda set the snacks and plates out on the table. King sat by the door waiting, as he usually did this time of day.

"Hey! We're home!" Luz cheered, as the blights followed behind her.

"You're back!" King grinned, climbing the human to lay on her head.

"Of course! I had to see my cutiepie!" Luz laughed covering the demon in kisses.

"That and she comes back from school around this time everyday" Eda smirked, as she placed the snacks on the table.

"So how was school?" Lilith asked, as she always did.

"Good, the rebellion is really picking up steam at Hexside. They're organizing a big protest at the night market at the end of the week." Emira smiled, sitting down and helping herself to the food.

Eda and Lilith felt their blood run cold, "We need to stop it. Now." The eldest Clawthrone practically growled.

"What why?" Amity blinked, "this is the biggest protest yet and we've worked so hard to get here."

"We think that the Emperor's coven is going to plan an attack. We need to stop this." Eda said, panic in her voice.

The teens looked at her, "you have no idea how social media works....I mean we can try but I doubt that will stop it." Edric said, as he and the rest pulled out their scrolls.

"I mean, you guys are popular. If you call it lame won't people back out?" Luz asked, hopefully.

"I haven't hung out with any of the popular kids in ages." Amity confessed.

"I mean we're slightly popular but I doubt we can stop something this big by dragging it. I mean we can try." Emira smiled, but it was more out of panic than anything else.

Eda and Lilith turned to each other, a knowing look in their eyes. 

"Luz, tell the group chat to bring their parents." Lilith said, but it almost came out as an order. They could see the coven leader instincts sliding back on like an old pair of shoes. Normally Eda called her sister out when she did this, however the hardness in the younger sister's two toned glare made Luz shrink back. She had seen that look before when she was trapped in a bubble. She had hoped to never see that look again.  
\-------------------------------

For the first time, the full official rebellion sat in the owl house. The parents looked skeptically at Principal Bump who waved shyly.

Eda whistled, gathering the attention to her, "We've brought you all here because we have a feeling that the Emperor's coven is planning an attack on the protest at the night market this Friday. We need you all to come with us and make sure the protesters are safe from any attacks. The kids will stay here and watch the hou-"

"The hell?!" Luz yelled, standing up from her spot on the floor, "You're benching us?! Those people are our classmates and our friends!"

"And we're the most trained! We have the most experience fighting the coven guards!" Willow growled.

"And we are doing this to protect kids from being hurt. Having you there will put more kids in danger." Lilith snapped, causing the brood to flatten their ears. "I already put children in harm's way once. I'm not doing it here."

"Mom, what about us? We're seventeen years old. We're almost adults-" Edric argued, trying to reason with her.

"No. I don't care about the law. I care about you. I can't protect you from Alador or Odalia, I can't protect you from being forced to join a coven. But I can protect you from this. You and your sisters have suffered enough. You're staying." Lilith ordered, her hard eyes caused Edric to sit down.

"Eda, you can be serious? I have fought the emperor. I can hand-"

"Luz, you're already stuck here. I love you kid, but I'm not the only person who you need to think about. You have your mom in the human realm. And it's my responsibility to keep you safe while she isn't here. You need to stay here." Eda pleaded, pain clear in her voice.

The human relented, sinking back down with the others as the adults formed their plan.

The owl house moved the next day, using an invisibility spell from the twins to hide its movements.  
\----------------------

The teens sat in the secret room of short cuts, picking at their lunches. The witchlings immediately pulled out their notes, as the human pulled out the masks from her bag.

"These are the older ones. Eda locked the others in an enchanted chest. The lock wouldn't break. These however I found in the closet. Along with our old clothes!" She grinned.

"Luz, you're almost a foot taller than when we wore these last. I don't even think most of us could fit in them." Jerbo smiled, "well aside from the tiny blights."

"Alright beanpole, no kisses for you!" Edric huffed, crossing his arms.

Jerbo smirked scooping up his boyfriend, "if you weren't small, I couldn't pick you up."

"You can live. For now." Edric chuckled, kissing his boyfriend.

"Well we at least need to wear all black and we all still have our cloaks so that's better than nothing." Luz sighed.

"Okay a better question is how are we going to get there. The owl house is now an hour away from Bonesborough." Gus asked.

"I actually already planned for that." Emira smirked looking at her brother, "We stole a bunch of brooms and stashed them in Amity's secret hideout."

"My hideout is not for contraband!" Amity grumbled.

"Relax, we'll take it out and find a junk pile to hide it under at the owl house." Edric chuckled.

"Will they have enough charge to get us back? I mean brooms aren't really meant for long travel." Willow looked skeptically at her friends. 

"Don't worry, we also stole extra batteries." Emira smiled, brightly.

"Alright, we need a meetup spot in case shit goes south." Viney said, looking down at the map, "somewhere nearby but far enough away that it's not likely to be a part of a riot."

Barcus put his paw on a small candle stand near the back of the market, he barked, smacking his paw down. 

"You sure? That's still pretty close to where the protest would be?" Amity looked at the dog demon, who just lifted his purple sleeved leg.

"Oracle magic!" Luz beamed, "hard to argue with! Oh and I made these." She handed them each a little notebook, all filled with odd looking spell glyphs. "These are flare spells, they're a light spell fire spell combo I have been fiddling with. They shoot up high in the air and let out a bright light, so we can find each other. I gave some to the adults a few days okay, but I stole some more tiny notebooks for us!"

Barcus ruffed, before turning to Viney, putting his nose on her blue healing track sleeve.

"Shit, yeah we should probably bring healing supplies. Barcus can you make some healing potions? I can see how many healing glyphs I can steal from my homeroom tomorrow."

Barcus nodded, although he still looked the most distressed out of them all. He had only seen glimpses of what could happen, but none of it was pretty. Despite that, he knew they could help protect people. Even if it was still a shit show. 

"Now we just have to get past Hooty." Luz grinned, turning back to Viney, "think you can get a jar of insects from the beast keeping homeroom?"

"Pfft, they'd be more weirded out if I didn't take home a jar of bugs. What kind does he like?"

"He said his favorites are the cream filled kind...whatever that means..." Luz said, disgust clear on her face.

"Oh I actually know exactly what that means! I can totally get a few jars of those!" Viney smiled happily.

Emira and Amity turned to their brother, "No, you're not allowed to eat any of them." Amity turned to Luz, "that also goes for you!"

"What, why would I eat a bug?"

"Why would you taste abomination goo?!" Amity shot back, a smile starting on her face.

"I told you cause I thought it would be grape flavored!" Luz responded, grumbling.

Edric meanwhile looked a little disappointed, while Jerbo just smiled, shaking his head. 

"Well, looks like we have everything planned out for when we get there. Looks like it's all set." Luz smiled, "Alright! Everyone hands in!"

"Nighthawks!" They cheered.  
\--------------------------

Alador Blight, a quite a few other higher ups in the Emperor's coven were gathered in a room. They stood at attention, like good soldiers, and waited for their orders.

Kikimora walked in carefully shutting the door behind her, "All of you are given Friday off, You are the coven's best and brightest. With the protest coming up, we don't want to risk anything happening to you. So you are to stay away from the night market."

"Shouldn't we be there in case of another terrorist attack?" One of the younger guards spoke up, looking nervously.

"Not to worry, we have plenty of people stationed there in case anything goes wrong." Kikimora spoke softly, it was almost unsettling how calm she seemed, "We have other things planned as well. Our city will be protected from these terrorists. Now you're all dismissed."

"Yes Ma'am." They barked.  
\----------------------------

Lilith sighed as she placed her mask on her face, the adults had already squabbled more in the past ten minutes than any of the teens did. They also had to leave one of them out of it, only because he was a reporter and it would be suspicious if he didn't answer his phone. 

She walked before them, her sister at her side, as they examined their security guards. While Richard, Brian, Rose and Maggie looked ready to fight. The others looked nervous, and they were all under trained. And while everyone agreed they'd rather be here than have the children involved. That certainly didn't mean they wouldn't have jumped for a third option. She sighed, they weren't the best guard but they would have to do.

Eda held up a potion in her hand, "These are fire extinguishers, you'll throw them at any fire you see started." She held small capsule potions, "these are stun bombs. They're only good for one person. So make them count." She lifted another large bottle, the contents swirled madly in the jar, "These neutralize tear gas. They work for large areas. This should minimize any damage to any eyes." Lastly she lifted up a small kit and a tiny notebook, "this is a first aid kit. There's enough to help in case of any damage or at least stop some bleeding. And these are flare spell cards. If one of us gets out numbered or if we can't find each other. Throw one of these. And if we make it to our safe zone. Throw two. That's the signal that you made it back safe. Any questions?"

They all shook their heads no, they had heard most of this information over the past week. They all adjusted their faces so their faces were covered and tested their ear pieces. 

Eda turned to look at Hooty, "Make sure none of those kids leave."

"Yes Ma'am! Hoot! Hoot!" He nodded.

"Alright, let's go." Lilith shouted as the adults took to the skies.  
\-------------------

King groaned, as he saw the teens immediately pull out bags, brooms and most had their black clothes on underneath their current clothes. "Guys, didn't they literally just tell you to stay here?"

"We can't let innocent people get hurt because of us King." Luz said, as she placed her mask over her face. "We started this fight. We should be there in case shit hits the fan."

"Okay, yes but have any of you considered. I don't know. Your own safety and well being? The adults might not have started it. But they're trying to look out for you." The tiny demon argued.

"We know they are. But we're better trained and have more magic than all of them. The vast majority of the protesters are people our age anyways, their lives matter just as much as ours. And at least we're prepared for the worst case scenario." Willow growled, as she handed out the brooms and bags.

"Are you though? Sure you've been in some scrapes with the guards and some fires. But this could be a full blown riot. Things get chaotic really fast, people get hurt." King said as he clung to Luz's leg.

"We're gonna do our best to minimize the damage." Luz countered.

"Well, I'm going with you. You're my family too and I'm not going to sit here and let you get hurt." He climbed onto her bag.

"Alright they're probably about twenty minutes ahead of us. Let's head out!" Amity yelled.

"Not so fast! Eda told me to keep you safe." Hooty said, sternly.

Luz grinned from behind her mask and took a jar from Viney, "What if I give you a jar of bugs?"

Hooty examined the jar carefully, he looked at her, "are...are those the..."

"The cream filled kind. Your favorite!" Luz wiggled the jar, "all for you."

Hooty looked nervously, as he weighed the options in his head, "I don't know...hoot."

Luz nodded, pulling out a second jar, "how about now?"

Hooty was sweating as he looked at the jar, drool dripped from his mouth, "two whole jars....Guys, I can't just let you leave-"

Luz carefully grabbed a bug from the jar and placed it in the house demon's mouth. He chewed happily. 

"Wow hoot, those are tasty...although they tasted...a bit...diff...rsnt" The house demon slurred before falling into sleep.

"I told you those tranquilizers would work!" Viney smiled from behind her mask.

"You drugged Hooty?!" King screamed.

"Relax, it's only enough to knock him out for ten minutes. He's too big for anything to knock him out long." Luz huffed as they ran all starting off on their brooms.

"Was there a plan to do that to me?!" King continued, now standing on the human's shoulders, his paws hugging her face as they flew.

"Sorry, can't hear you, wind turbulence." Luz yelled, as they all increased their speed.

"THERE WAS!"

\-------TRIGGER WARNING-------------

The Emperor's coven had formed a line in front of the night market, they had a line of abominations and golems in front of them. The guards were armed to the teeth and they all had their staffs ready. 

The protesters marched in a circle about ten feet from the guards, many had their own replica masks, and almost all had some sort of black clothing or owl sigil on them. Their signs said, Magic should be free, Covens are oppressive and other such things. They dwarfed the number of guards, easily. However most of them were teenagers and twenty somethings. There were definitely some older people in the crowd. But they were the minority.

Eda recognized many faces in the crowd, she burned them in her mind as if that could preserve them. They landed in the back, away from the crowd. She turned to her team, she saw their fear but also saw a wave of protectiveness wash over them. Bump even had a fire in his eyes. They walked over, and the crowd cheered, as the adult Nighthawks formed a line in front of the protesters. They had their own staffs standing by. The black and white cloaks made them look like chess pieces.  
\-------------------------  
The teens landed stashing their brooms in a bush near a closed bakery. As they ran towards the crowd of people, carefully blending in. They lost each other almost immediately. The news had reported that most of the protests had a few hundred people. The most being around five hundred. This dwarfed those easily, Luz had remembered seeing the posts of people showing up being in the five thousand range, and while some ragging on it from the blights helped bring the numbers down. There were at least a couple thousand in the march. They walked in a large lazy circle. She immediately spotted Willow in the center, as it was a pretty easy spot to attack. Luz kept her paper ready, as she walked. She felt the atmosphere of the crowd as they broke out into a call and response song about their demands. She smiled a bit as she was able to barely make out some of her friends' voices in the crowd. She stopped when she felt King tense up in her hoodie. She was just about to ask what was wrong when an explosion roared. She saw the crowd panic as she struggled against the wave of protesters, only to see the fire and smoke was behind the guards. 'It was a setup' she thought as the emperor's coven acted immediately. She pulled out her cards, ready to attack, when she heard a loud whistling and the world went dark.  
\-------------------------

Luz coughed as she felt something shaking her.

"LUZ, LUZ. YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP. PLEASE." A familiar voice screamed.

She groaned, sitting up, and saw King sitting next to her, she felt her chest and was pleased to find her insides still inside. She rose to her feet and coughed again. She chose to ignore the coppery metallic taste in her mouth. She picked up King, and surveyed the ground around them. Heavy smoke fogged everything and she only heard the sounds of screams. She heard another whistling sound and ran on instinct. She didn't know where she was running. She heard someone yelling for help and started to move towards the sound. 

"King, do we still have potions?"

"A few. Most....we're damaged in the explosion. We have glyphs." He said, his voice stuck in shock.

"Those will have to do." She responded, as she raced towards the voice screaming for help. Slowly she saw him in the fog, he was in a deep pit. She saw the white cape but ran towards him anyways.

"Help me. Please Titan Help me." He cried, his voice sounded more broken than anything she heard. "I can't move my legs!"

"I'm here! I'm here!" She called, climbing into the pit with him. She felt the air leave her lungs at the site before her. She moved her eyes up his torso, his white cape beneath him drenched in red. 

"Luz....I don't think...we can help him." King whispered in her ear.

She moved anyways, lifting him gently, and took his hand. "What's your name?"

"Thomas." He said weakly, "Why can't I feel my legs."

"Thomas, look at me. Just focus on my voice. Tell me about...about your favorite memory." Luz said, desperately trying to steady her voice. She felt her own head spinning but she sucked it up as she heard him speak.

"I...I was at the carnival...with my aunt. I was just tall enough to ride the moral coaster. I was so scared but she...she promised I would be okay. So long as she...was with me. I...remember as we....reached the top....holding her hand...." He seemed to smile, as his voice grew weaker, "Then we went down.....and I screamed.....so loud...but I had...fun...it was......the...be..st."

Luz felt his hand go limp, and she felt his pulse. She gently set the corpse down, as she climbed out of the pit. Her mind was numb. Her stomach twisted in knots as she felt the urge to throw up. A voice buzzed in her ear.

"Hello?! Hello?! Is anyone still here?!" Amity called over the intercom.

Luz's brain snapped back in reality just enough to press the button and answer, "I'm here."

"Luz! Thank Titan, you're alive! Where are you?!" Her girlfriend's voice screamed.

"By a...corpse." she responded numbly.

"You too?" Edric laughed weakly, his voice sounded odd, "maybe it's the same one."

Another whistling sound was heard and Luz took off running again, she felt King grip her for dear life, as they waited for the explosion, only to see a bright Owl light up the sky, and soon another followed. And she dashed towards it. She kept her eyes forward, keeping them as far away from the ground as possible. The air wreaked of sulfur and blood. She heard the voices in her intercom start up again.

"I'M AT THE STAND. DID YOU SEE MY FLARE?!" Gus screamed into the intercom.

"Gus! You're alive!" Amity yelled, "is anyone else hearing this? Emira? Willow? Viney? Jerbo? Barcus?"

"I'm here!" Willow growled, "I see the owl!"

"Are you okay?" Amity asked.

"My leg hurts. But I can still walk."

Luz felt the words of the guard echo in her head, her feet moved tirelessly as her heart pounded in her ears. The foggy stretch filled air seemed to burn through her lungs. She heard another whistle and heard the explosion echo behind her. She couldn't focus on her intercom anymore as the world seemed to fill with a thousand clashing voices. She saw the stand in the distance and a few different outlines of figures. She heard herself let out a cry, it almost sounded like a wail. This unearthly broken sob that escaped her throat. She looked up and saw Eda, Lilith and a few other adults gathered near the stand. Gus, Emira and Amity stood by them. Luz ran to them and buried her masked face in their arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Eda held her tightly as if she would disappear. They said nothing as Luz shook in her mentor's arms. She vaguely heard Lilith and Amity's voices calling out to people as they responded in turn.

"I saw your flare, I'm coming!" Jerbo yelled.

"I'm okay, I'm tended to some wounded. I'm going to try and get them out of here." Viney called into the intercom.

A barking noise was heard as all three dog demons ran to the stand. Luz pretended she didn't see the red on their fur. She felt a wet nose bump against her arm and a soft whine. She smiled weakly as she hugged Barcus. She felt relief fill her chest as she saw vines through the ashen sky, as Willow arrived, with her parents, as well as Jerbo's carefully placed on the ground. 

Thumping stomped came as Jerbo appeared, sitting on top of one of his plant abominations, Edric in his arms. "He was hit!" He yelled, as he sank to the ground. Edric's arm was cut badly, and the Siruises immediately began to treat him. Amity, Emira and Lilith cried as they ran to the injured teen. At the sight of Amity with her brother, Luz's brain snapped back into focus. "Viney, Any eyes on Bump, Richard or Rose. I repeat. Bump. Richard or Rose."

"Dad?!" Viney's voice almost break, "He's not there?!"

"I'll set up another flare." Luz called back, tapping the paper. 

Richard bared his teeth, picking up Luz who let out a yelp, as he pressed her intercom, "Viney?! Sweetheart?! Are you alive?!" He cried out. 

"Dad! I'm okay! I'm on my way!" Viney's voice lightened immediately.

"Augustus!" A voice yelled.

"Mom!" Gus cried as he ran into his mother's arms. 

Viney ran in, Principal Bump leaning on her shoulder as they walked to the stand. 

The adults took the teens on their staffs, the stolen brooms long forgotten as they rose above the scene. 

Luz had seen no man zones in video games and movies. The scene below her almost looked like one. She found her eyes immediately drawn to the gore that littered the ground. She thought of Thomas and closed her eyes, burying her face in King's soft fur.  
\---------------------------

"I tried to stop them!" Hooty yelled immediately as they landed, "oh Titan...." The tone sounded so wrong from the house demon as he threw himself open immediately. 

"Well, no one's dead. That's a plus." Eda laughed humorlessly. 

"No one in our group is dead." Luz corrected, leaning into her mentor's side like a shy child would hide into their parent's leg. 

Viney, Barcus' parents and anyone else who knew healing magic set up an impromptu hospital in the basement. Luz was a bit shocked as she found herself being ushered downstairs.

"I'm fine." She countered, trying to go back to the couch. She wanted to sleep.

"Take off your mask kid." Eda said in a sharp panicked tone.

The human did as she was told, and saw a giant crack in it, a part near her eye was broken off entirely. She felt herself heave as she saw blood all over the inside of it. She took the bucket that was handed to her and threw up violently into it. She felt herself being lifted as she was set down on the table in the potion room. 

\---------End of the worst of it--------------------

Eda paced, her ears were flat against her head and her claws were out. Tears streamed down her face, as she blamed herself. 'All I had to do was keep her away and I couldn't even fucking do that right.'

"She's gonna be okay." King reassured sitting with the less injured people on the sofa.

"Her face was covered in blood." Eda cried, her eyes filled with angry tears.

"Well she's breathing and aware. So points are in our favor." He replied, smiling weakly.

"I should have known they wouldn't listen. I should have done more to stop them!" She growled, sinking in on herself.

"You did literally everything you could aside from magically trapping them in the owl house. They're banged up, and definitely mentally scarred but they're all alive." King sighed, snuggling up next to Eda, "We knew something like this would happen eventually.....we have been mostly fighting with words and symbols but it's still war. There was going to be blood eventually."

Eda said nothing, as she bit back frustrated tears, she remembered when she first transformed into the owl beast. It made her feel more helpless and scared than she had in her entire life. Now, she'd do anything for that to be her worst moment again. Seeing these kids she loved and cared for hurt. Luz, her little human, the kid who taught her more about herself than anyone else, was downstairs bleeding. 

The basement door opened, Richard carefully held the injured human in his arms, he glanced at King, who gently prodded Eda. 

The witch looked up, tears ran anew as she saw Luz. Part of her head and face were covered in bandages. She had more wrappings around her ribcage which peaked out from under the hospital gown. She saw the purple bruises forming on her skin and the army of bandaids over her small scratches. Eda felt her soul shatter at the sight, and carefully took the girl into her arms. She cradled her gently as she took her upstairs and laid her down in the nest. 

"She has some bruised ribs, a mild concussion, a broken nose, a cut from where the mask cracked, and her one eye is pretty sore from all the smoke. But they said she should make a full recovery...." Richard said quietly, as he stood awkwardly in the doorway. 

"Thank you....." Eda said just above a whisper as she held her child close, the guilt sank deep in her heart, "I'm sorry you and your family are involved in this."

Richard let out a deep sigh, "it's hard being a parent....you always want what's best for them. You teach them right and wrong. You keep them safe and you want them to be happy and themselves. Then all that shit you said about standing up for what's right and being true to yourself suddenly seems so stupid when they start fighting for it. Cause ya know they could get hurt and then they do. But ya know.....you were pretty spot on. You saw what they were doing and you did your best to make sure they were safe and prepared for when they did stand up for themselves. I don't know if it was the right thing to do but honestly I don't think there is a right thing to do. All I know is that I'm glad my daughter has some people looking out for her."

"They got hurt because of me." Eda sobbed quietly, "I should have done more. I should have sent Luz back I should have-"

"Hold on a fucking minute. You weren't the fucking asshole emperor who blew of his own soldiers to get them to start chucking bombs at children. They got hurt cause of him. Don't go beating yourself up. We did what we could to keep our kids safe. We knew how stubborn they were. All I know is cause Viney was there some kids are alive that wouldn't have been. This night fucking sucked and from a numbers game it was a lose on both sides. As a parent though, having your kid back alive because of the help of a stranger. That's their whole world saved. It's not much in light of everything but it's what we got."

Eda smiled wearily as she ran her fingers through her teen's hair, "I can think of worse consolation prizes."

Richard offered a tired grin, and took his leave.  
\--------------------------

Edric grimaced as threw back the flask of whiskey he was handed. His other hand gripped Lilith's tightly as Viney finished up his stitches. 

"There we are, all patched up." Viney smiled, wiping down the area and starting to wrap it in gauze, "Probably going to be some swelling, bruising around the area for the next week. But all and all. Could be a lot worse." 

"I mean I didn't get blown to bits so yeah." Edric smirked, although discomfort was clear on his face, "Now go and tell my sisters I'm alright otherwise you're going to have to deal with a double coronary." 

"You can tell them yourself, I still have people to work on." Viney said, some of the stress finally bleeding through. "Dad! we got another one going up." 

Richard nodded, scooping up Edric. "Where am I putting this one?"

"In my room. It's where his sisters are." Lilith said, her mind scattered as she washed her hands as Brian set Willow on the table. 

"Aye, aye." Richard nodded, as he carried the boy upstairs.

Willow's right leg bent at an odd angle and was already swollen. The professional healers cast an X-ray spell, clearly showing the broken bone.

"Look at you, breaking bones and keeping them in the skin. Should give Edric lessons on that." Viney smirked, as she began cutting the fabric of her pants above the break.

Willow offered an exhausted laugh, "I would if I had any memory of how I managed to do it."

"Alright, so good news, We're totally able to put it back into place and it will heal up fine. Bad news, we have to set it back into place and we don't have sedatives so.....here is your whiskey."

Willow threw the flask back,she coughed, "This is so gross." She immediately grabbed her Papa's hand as they started to move her leg back into place, she took long swig of whiskey, forced herself to focus on the burning in her throat. "Motherfucker."

"All back in place. Now we're going to start getting it in a cast. Don't worry, everything else is much less painful." Viney reassured.

"Great." Willow said through grit teeth.  
\--------------------------

Lilith was exhausted as she finally made her way upstairs, everyone had been treated and patched up. The kids were broken and scarred but they were alive. She repeated the mantra as she made her way to her bed, were her kids were already asleep. She ignored the stabbing feeling in her chest at the sight of their injuries, climbing into her nest. She purred gently as she fell asleep.

The others made their way home, grateful everyone would recover from the blasts. Their comfort was undermined as they knew this was only the start of what was to come.


	14. Fallout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the night market massacre

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for commenting and reading my stuff. Please also read Hope and Despair. The other story in this series as it will eventually tie in to the main story. Wasn't beta'd. It's never beta'd. Sorry lol

Luz woke up to the sound of Eda's purring and snoring. The former sounded a bit like putting your ear next to a motorcycle and the later sounded like what would happen if someone had a chainsaw that was also part trombone. She lifted her head off the pillow, she felt her body protest as she tried to sit up fully. She however quickly gave up, as any bending near her ribcage felt like it was getting kicked. Her throat hurt, breathing out of her nose was difficult, her one eye was stinging, and her head throbbed. She heard the snoring stop and turned to see her mentor's dual colored gaze on her. Eda was normally a fighter, any pain she either buried or carrying through. Even when she thought she was going to die she focused on how well she lived even if it was cut short. That was what Luz was used to from her mentor. The look on the witch's face wasn't that normal tired put upon smirk. It was the look of guilt, fear and pain. The same look an animal rescuer would have if they spent a year rehabilitating an animal to watch them get eaten the minute they were released into the wild. The look of a mother holding her broken child and only seeing herself as the cause. 

Luz offered her a tired smile, "Good morning." Her voice was hoarse with sleep and soreness. She watched Eda's ears flick back at the sound. She looked down immediately, guilt finding its way into her thoughts, "I should have listened to you. You were just trying to protect us. I'm so-"

"Did you help anyone?" Eda said calmly.

"What?"

"Was there any person at all, that you helped during that fucking mess."

Luz felt her chest tighten as the thought of the coven guard and his mangled body flashed before her eyes. She curled closer into Eda like a child during a thunderstorm. "I tried....to help someone.....but...he wasn't...."

The weight of Luz's broken words sank Eda's heart like a stone. She rubbed her back gently as the girl started to break down in her arms. "You tried. And that's the best thing you can do during an attack like that. There's no good war and when we do start fighting, the opportunities to be able to help people are going to become harder and harder."

Luz nodded, still clinging to Eda, "This is only gonna get worse....isn't it."

"Yeah...but for today, we rest." The witch sighed, gently ruffling her kid's hair, "how are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a truck." 

"Yeah....I have no idea what a truck is." Eda said bluntly.

Luz laughed, as she tried to think of the best analogy, "like I got hit by a metal griffin running 45 miles an hour."

"Fucking hell, let me go see if we have any healing potions left and if not, I'll make some more." Eda stretched, carefully lifting King from the other side of the nest and placing him next to Luz, who immediately began snuggling him.   
\----------------------------

"Reports show that over 500 people were injured during last night's attack and one hundred people died. Half of which were coven guards during the first round of bombing done by the Nighthawks. There was-" The orb was smacked by Lilith's hand. She buried her hands in her bright red locks. 

"Luz is awake, how's the other three?" Eda yawned, as she grabbed some juice from the fridge.

"They were up but they might have fallen back asleep. None of them slept well last night." 

"Luz slept well, although a decent enough head injury will put anyone to sleep." Eda smiled humorlessly to herself, as she took eggs and some bacon out of the fridge.

"Eda, what the hell are we doing?" Lilith asked, her mind as frazzled as her morning bed head.

"I believe it's called breakfast." 

"Edalyn. I'm serious. The new channels are all slamming us for bombing the emperor's coven and blaming us for everyone that got hurt in the process. Then on social media all these parents, young adults, teenagers and children are up in arms wanting revenge on the people who killed their friends. All the young people want to murder the first guard they see and all the adults want our heads on a pike. We need to do somethi- Stop drinking that from the carton. We all share that!"

Eda sighed deeply setting the juice back down, "meh, it's like half rum at this point. The alcohol will kill the germs." 

Lilith eyed the carton and poured herself a glass, "What are we going to do?"

"Today? Nothing. For the next week. Honestly just keep it to air dropping the actual truth. And eventually start actual recruitment."

"Who and how are we going to recruit people? We're wanted criminals. And we can't exactly have our kids running up and down the streets with a sign up sheet and a clipboard."

Eda summoned her scroll and carefully showed her sister the Nighthawks peaceful protest page, which based on the comments was really do for a name change. "We live in an age where people post a picture of themselves for literally nothing. I doubt it would be that hard to find them in real life."

"Great, more children."

"Okay we're not taking any younger than fifteen. That's the youngest you can technically join a coven anyways."

"Gus is thirteen." 

"Well....I'll add that to the list of reasons I hate myself and move on." Eda laughed bitterly.

"Eda, there are thousands of people on this list. How are we going to train that many?"

"You trained hundreds of guards at your old job. Not well. But I mean that's why I'm here."

"Yes but there was also a set structure on how things were done. And I never trained more than fifty at a time. We had specific people for that. We have us, a bunch of untrained adults and nine trained teenagers. All of which are in various stages of injury."

"Lily, the Emperor planted bombs to blow up his own guards. We both know he didn't put out his best and brightest for the job of dying. There are some higher ups that were told to stay home that day. And some of them might even have more than one brain cell and a tinge of moral ethics enough to figure out what really happened. We find them. We find people to help train." Eda grinned, filling up her mug with coffee.

"And how exactly do we find them?" Lilith grumbled, done with this logistical nightmare. She vaguely heard her sister mumble something into her mug. "What was that?" She watched as Eda seemed to try to hide behind her coffee, her gold and grey eyes avoiding her. "Edalyn...."

"Break into some guard barracks."

"That is insane."

"Well, do you have a better idea?"

Lilith sighed deeply, and laid her forehead on the counter in defeat, "no....."

"Well then we do that and see if we can break out some other wild witches from jail." Eda added, as she buttered some toast.

"This isn't a rebellion...this is a cluster fuck."

"Yes, but it's our cluster fuck." Eda grinned poking her sister with her elbow. 

"I should have joined the potions coven." Lilith groaned.  
\---------------------------

Amity picked at part of the bandage around her arm. She was badly bruised in some spots and had some stitches on a gash on her arm but out of her siblings she was the least battered. Emira had her arm in a cast and five different stitched cuts, and Edric who had the unfortunate experience of being way too close to a bomb, had his entire left leg in a cast, and had a patch work of stitches. 

"I'm so glad our parents are going out of town for the rest of the week." Edric sighed, as he used a back scratcher to itch his less injured leg.

"Yes because your leg will totally be fixed in a week Ed" Amity said dryly.

"Yes, but most of my stitches will be healed enough by then and I mean we told them we were doing hard training over the weekend at the knee. Just say I fell off something or we got attacked by a slitherbeast. I mean they don't know about that happening the first time so it's not even a lie." He grinned, cheekily.

"That's not actually that bad of an idea...." Emira smirked, "look at you having a good idea for once."

"Fuck off." Edric grumbled, causing his sisters to laugh and then immediately wince as their bruised ribs protested. 

Lilith walked in an uneasy smile on her face, she had pillows in her arms, "Alrighty, breakfast is on the way, does anyone need anything?"

"A new leg?" Edric smiled although it turned into a slight grimace as Lilith propped him up with pillows.

"I'm afraid that isn't available." Eda smiled, Luz held carefully in her arms, "but I have this!" She grinned, stretching her arms out slightly. "Ya want it?"

Luz rolled her eyes at her teacher's antics, Amity however immediately sat up, "Yes please."

"Awww, you love me!" Luz giggled as Eda carefully placed her next to her girlfriend. 

Amity blushed slightly, leaning her head against Luz's shoulder, "yeah, I love you."

"Alright, enough with the cuteness. Let people eat first." Eda teases as she and Lilith carefully handed the kids their breakfast. 

Luz carefully munched on her food, the older witches' eyes watching them carefully. The worry lines on their faces that easy off slowly as they continue to eat. They almost seemed to physically relax when she took a sip of water. She thought of when she was little, how her Mami would always sit by her while she ate to make sure she was getting enough fluids. While neither witch was as openly cuddly as her Mami, the gesture warmed her heart. 

"So find any healing potions?" Luz asked, putting a hand over her mouth as to not to display the food she was still chewing.

"No and we're out of ingredients for them. But the juice is mostly rum. So it will at least get you through the rest of the morning while one of us goes to get more." Eda offered a tired grin, patting Luz's head.

"Are you sure that's safe to do after....everything?" Emira asked, worry crossed her golden eyes.

"I'm going to Morton's to get some potions and ingredients, I'm not going up to the guards barracks with a giant sign that says wanted criminal over my head." Eda said, giving the girl her best confident smile.

"We can deal for a day or so. It's not like we haven't done that with injuries before." Amity confessed quietly, which caused Luz to pull her closer.

Eda bent down, ignoring the ache in her knees, and looked the blights in their eyes, "You're in our care now, if you are hurt we're going to do everything we can to help you feel better. Even if it's just a little scratch and it just needs a bandage. I'm not making you grin and bear it."

Their eyes seemed to widen slightly as the words hit, they had disobeyed Eda and Lilith. They had gone behind their backs and ended up hurt. Eda and Lilith were right in telling them not to go and yet despite everything. They still cared. Adults didn't do that for them. 

Edric looked up nervously glancing at the two older witches, "We're not in trouble?"

The older witches blinked looking at the boy then watched as his sisters seemed to mirror his nervousness. Amity was even hiding slightly behind Luz, who looked slightly guilty but was nothing to the fear that radiated from the blights.

"All of you are hurt, and one of you can't even get up the stairs. I'm sad you felt the need to hide stuff from us but we also didn't give you much of a choice. We were trying to protect you from the worst case scenario and I feel we have made it worse. Moving forward, we will listen to you more. We're in this together and we can't do that if we don't listen to each other and if we're not honest." Lilith sighed, sliding into her nest. She pulled all four kids in for a gentle hug, a rumbly purr escaped her throat. The witchlings soon joined her in purrs, as the five snuggled together.

Eda let the sight warm her heart as she prepared to leave.

\----------------------------- 

Eda walked carefully down the streets, she had disguised herself as a feeble old woman thanks to charm bracelets that the twins had made her and Lilith. She had been extremely impressed and mildly insulted by them but understood that most didn't notice little old ladies. 

She normally loved walking by the market, it smelled of money and opportunities. However today it felt like death. Very few people were out, and although the night stalls were away. The damage was still there. The air still smelled like smoke, even though the fire was put out. She walked by a bakery that Edric had blown through from a bomb. She saw the shattered window and even a few bits of dried blood. All being swept away by some young employee. Eda made eye contact with them and they immediately knew they both had seen the horror. She offered an understanding smile and they nodded gravely before going back to cleaning.

The boiling isles had always been chaotic, attacks were nothing new. Demons and witches are known for trouble. Their history had been bloody many many times. However, she never expected she would ever have to live through one. She never expected to do a lot of things that suddenly were quite mundane. The hugs, the laughter, the sense of pride she felt whenever Luz learned something knew. The forehead kisses, she, Eda the infamous Owl Lady, gave her young apprentice daily. These things she cherished and hoped to never end. The fear of the war, the soon to be scars on these kids faces, the worry whenever the kids weren't there, the threat of Odalia and Alador, the emperor's coven taking away any of her children from her. That is what she hated more than anything. She hated the guilt she felt for making these kids grow up quick, and watching their innocence get blown away by fire. She hated that she was proud of them for standing up and fighting back, but she couldn't help it.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she reached Morton's stand, she saw people moving inside. She knocked on the window, "hey, Morton! Open up!" 

A woman appeared lifted up the stand, her eyes were blood shot, tears ran freely down her face, and her eyes looked like shattered glass. "Were you one of his customers?" She asked, her voice distant and soft.

The realization hit Eda as her eyes widened, "No....No....please tell me....he isn't."

The woman just nodded as she sobbed, "He was at the protest last night. I begged him not to go....he just wouldn't listen. He said Eda was one of his friends and he wasn't going to watch the coven hunt her anymore."

Eda felt her throat go dry, as guilt and shame ran through her views. "I'm so sorry."

"Oh, it's not your fault." Morton's father said, as he pulled his sobbing wife in his arms, "Those Damn Nighthawks, things weren't always great but before they came around I didn't have to worry about my son getting blown up in the streets." He soothed slightly as he saw the sadness in the woman's eyes, "your grandkids get hurt during the attacks ma'am?"

Eda just nodded, unable to form words, as she reached for her purse. Morton's parents gathered up some healing potions and ingredients.

"Here, this is all we have left. You don't need to pay. We've been giving out healing supplies to people affected." His father said, handing her the bag.

Eda took it carefully, "thank you." She said quietly, not trusting herself to speak any more. 

She walked back towards the edge of Bonesborough, as she again walked past the war zone from the night before. She could see outlines in the ash from where bodies were found. She saw that employee from the bakery, standing in front of the store. Tears falling down their face as they lit a cigarette. 

The boiling isles was many things, crime ridden, slimy, smelly, chaotic, wild, and full of wonder and horror alike. The one thing it almost never was, was sad. Today, the city of Bonesborough mourned and tried to repair and clean away all that happened before. However the scars on those who were there, those won't go away. Eda wondered if she could go to the market again and not smell the smoke. She sighed realizing that it was just another thing she'd have to get used to. 

\------------------------

Eda took off her disguise, the illusion fell away as she entered her home. She smiled slightly as she heard purring from Lilith's room. The bag of potions felt heavy in her hands as she walked. It wasn't just the bag, her whole body felt heavy, the words of her late friend's parents echoed in her head. She lifted a shaky hand and opened the door. Her sister and the teens were asleep, snuggled together in a pile. They were purring slightly in their sleep. She felt just a bit of joy in her heart as she saw Emira sleep kneading her sister's arm. She gently patted her sister's foot, and watched as Teal and Grey eyes blinked open.

"Hey" Lilith yawned, "You get the stuff?"

"Yeah" Eda responded quietly, handing the bag over without looking at her sister.

Lilith carefully set the bag on her lap, her keen eyes studied her sister's face. "It's that bad...out there?"

Eda made a slight huffing noise from her nose, "I've been to funerals that had a better atmosphere than out there....." She let out a hollow laugh, "Everything just felt raw, and watching the few people out try to go about their day when just up the street it looks like a war zone. It's.....fuck...." She growled as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I hate how much it hurts. I hate how much I feel like it's my fault."

Lilith felt her own eyes starting to prick with tears, as she carefully ran a hand through a sleeping Edric's hair. "We have done everything we can to prevent violence. We made sure they did property damage only, and if there were guards to use sleep spells or just defend themselves from attacks and run. That protest was peaceful. He was the one who planted the bombs, he was the one who armed the guards with explosives to throw into the crowd. HE hurt those children. And we're going to do everything we can to make sure he can't hurt anyone else." 

"I just don't want to lose any of our kids in the process..."

"Then we train. We were once the most powerful witches in the boiling isles. We can get there again. As long as we're breathing, we're going to do everything we can to protect all of our kids." Lilith felt the pain in her chest turn to rage, "and those kids who died.....I won't let their deaths be in vain."

Eda felt the fire start to burn in her as well, rage was familiar. Rage let to action, and most importantly, it was easier than despair. She carefully grabbed the ingredients from the bag and went to work.


	15. Boscha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boscha loses her closest relative and she is determined to make the person who killed him pay.

Hieronymus Bump didn't often close hexside for more than a day, he understood that things happen, bad weather, unmanaged pixies, and the occasional explosion. He had closed the school for a week last summer after the petrification incident, and that had been his record for closing the school down since he founded it. Following the Night Market Massacre, he closed the school for three weeks. He adjusted his tie as he cast vacant eyes at the knot. He had never been good at forming the knots, yet found that it was perfect. He wanted to take some pride in this new ability, but the reason for it sank any pride he felt. He was always a fairly gruff stoic, sarcastic man, however he loved his students dearly. He often kept tabs on their accomplishments well after they graduated Hexside. He carefully adjusted his tie again and checked his watch. Today would be his sixty eighth funeral he had been to this month, and he had five more later in the week. He knew that this probably wasn't great for his mental health, but the thought of not going seemed to only make it worse. He needed to see them, see their families, offer them support. It was his very own personal torture, this ache in his chest, as he watched children he had seen grow be placed in the dirt. Guard or protester, he didn't care, they were his students and none of them deserved to die. 

He flew to the mortuary, the path seemed ingrained in his head now. He landed carefully, his ankle still wasn't fully healed, and made his way inside.

Tom had been a breath of fresh air compared to his family, it was also why he had been the black sheep. He was good hearted and kind but could be apathetic. He had known what his family expected of him. He had gotten into the Emperor's coven because of his family. He had never really wanted to be there but he was. Bump had been shocked to find out that he made it in tryouts, Tom wasn't a very powerful witch, another reason his family was disappointed in him. Bump watched the eyes of the people in the room, and found most were fairly dry. He felt his frown tighten as many of the older adults seemed almost bored. He turned his eyes away to prevent himself from sneering at them. He felt his heart break as he saw Boscha. She loomed over the casket, as tears ran down her face. Bump turned to the picture board that was by the wall, and saw a picture of Tom, Boscha and their great aunt at a carnival. They all beamed brightly from behind one of those wooden stands. He sighed as he made his way to the girl who now was as far from that picture as possible. He placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. He saw her head turn, her three eyes looked up at him, her lip quivering. He offered her a hug and she buried herself in his arms, rubbing her back gently as she sobbed. This is why he continued to come to the funerals, not just to honor the students he lost, but to support the ones that were still alive. Boscha was a bratty angry teen that definitely had given him quite a few migraines, today however, she was just a sad girl who lost her cousin too soon. Today, his purpose was to be there for her, and he would do his damndest. 

\----------------------------

Luz was bored. She attempted to shuffle a deck of playing cards in her hand for what felt like the millionth time. Eda had given it to her as a temporary solution to her student's near constant fidgeting and hatred of bed rest. Luz had taken them as they were honestly better than nothing and was now determined to become good at shuffling. She bent the cards back slightly and watched as they awkwardly slipped out of her hands. She groaned, flopping her head back into her pillow. It had been two weeks since the attack and although her nose was almost healed, Eda had banned her from doing anything other than learning potions and studying. Normally she would have been trying to get Eda or Lilith to teach her something but they were both out running errands and King was asleep. Her eyes caught sight of a hat, and an idea rolled into her head. She grabbed it, and carefully placed it upside-down on the floor. She laid back down on her bed and started tossing cards. She grumbled as she missed every single one. However she had forty six more chances and nothing else to do.  
\-------------------------------

Boscha walked through the halls of Hexside like a predator. She, however, had a single prey in mind. Three weeks had passed since the massacre, and two since the last relative she liked was buried. She was hurting, and all she wanted to do was beat the shit out of the people who killed her cousin. The identity of some of the Nighthawks was a bit of an open secret. Generally it was thought it was Luz, Gus and Willow Blights, they tended to be considered less likely. Boscha The plant witch's ears flicked back and a growl a , ,,,?,? Xoxo ' her throat as she saw Boscha, who radiated anger. 

"What do you want." Willow snapped, despite her injured leg, she still looked ready to fight.

"You're a part of the reb-" Boscha snarled only to have a surprisingly strong hand clasp over her mouth, with a palm pressed firmly into her chin. She was about to dig her claws into the other girl to get her to release when the wall opened up behind them. Her three eyes glanced around the unfamiliar room, then yelped when suddenly she was slammed against the door. She felt Willow's claws grazing her skin, Boscha growled her ears pinned back.

"Now that we're not in the middle of the hallway where people can hear us. What the fuck do you want?!" Willow yelled, clearly done with any niceties she had left.

"ARE YOU WITH THE NIGHTHAWKS?!" Boscha screamed, tears welled in her eyes as she thought of her cousin. 

Willow blinked at the tears, loosening her grip on the other girl. That however was a mistake, as Boscha used Willow's injury against her and quickly slammed her into the wall.

"There were bombs set off underneath where the emperor's coven was standing. One of those bombs killed my cousin. DID YOU FUCKING KILL HIM?!" Boscha roared.

"We didn't. The Emperor planted the bombs. He killed your cousin." Willow answered, as she watched Boscha's anger fall into despair.

"LIar!" She screamed through tears.

Willow drew a circle in the air and stuck her hand through it, "I will tell you the truth about what happened that night if you agree to not tell anyone else about it."

Boscha looked at the everlasting oath and shook the other girl's hand, "now talk."

"We went there to protect the protesters. The last few protests had gotten violent. Eda and Lilith didn't want us to go because they were worried the guards were going to throw bombs at us. We went anyways and I went into the middle of the circle to deflect any projectiles. None of us had any plans of hurting anyone. And when the bombs went off and the guard started to attack, I got pushed back in the crowd and blown into a wall. I woke up, used my vines to wrap my leg and saw the owl flare and ran towards it. At a certain point it got too painful to walk so I used my vines to carry me there. Everyone was scared and just trying to survive. We didn't start any of the fires in the court houses either. Our job was to break in, wreck shit, tag stuff and get out. If we ran into guards we were supposed to defend then escape. Lilith suspects that the Emperor planted the bombs to make us look worse since people seemed skeptical about the fires."

Boscha curled in on herself, hiding her face behind her knees as she tried to hold back sobs. She stopped as she felt arms wrap around her. "What are you...."

"What happened sucks, and you shouldn't have to go through it alone." Willow smiled, as she rubbed the other girl's back, "It was a bad night for everyone." There was a distant tone in her voice, and Boscha turned her head and saw the broken glass behind the other girl's eyes. 

They sat together there, sitting in their grief, but taking solace that they weren't alone. They heard the bell scream and made their way to their homeroom.  
\------------------------------

Boscha sighed as she sat at her lunch table, most of the others chatted amongst each other. She sat near them but kept her mouth shut, as she picked at her food. The rest were familiar enough to know when Boscha was upset, you left her alone til she cooled off. This was different. She still snapped at them, but the bite wasn't there. That was because she was using most of her energy to keep herself from falling apart. She didn't know how to feel. Her family had history with the Emperor's coven, her mother was in it. Her mother, who was given the day off on the day of the massacre. Her entire purpose was to be the best and the strongest. She had even picked the potions track as that is what the leader of the coven had been in when she was at Hexside. Tom had been in the coven, but he was betrayed by them. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Amity taking a seat next to her. 

"What do you want, Blight." She growled, although it was pretty clear her heart wasn't in it.

"I heard about what happened to your cousin, and I thought you might want some company." Amity said, honestly.

"I don't need your pity. I've had enough pity for a lifetime." 

"I just wanted to say, he was a nice guy and he didn't deserve what happened to him. And I know he was your best friend." 

Boscha felt herself start to crack, and she turned to look at her once friend, "Thanks...."

Amity smiled and was about to get up and leave when she felt a hand grab her wrist, she saw three eyes pleading for her to stay. She relaxed back into her seat and while their conversation was sparse and consisted of mostly just complaints about their favorite grudgby teams. There was a comfort and familiarity as they both watched the glorious path their parents had set them on burst into flames. The coven they had once respected and dreamed of being a part of now showed to be a web of lies. A place where people are treated like numbers that can go up or down without much of a thought.  
\-----------------------------

Nighthawk training was finally starting again after a little over a month of recovery. Edric was the last to heal, and now that he was finally able to get his cast off. Everyone was eager to get back to training. It wasn't easy or pleasant but there was familiarity to it, there was a goal and a purpose to it. They had sat in recovery, feeling more helpless than ever. Today, they finally felt like they could do something again.

Willow sighed as her locker closed its mouth. She adjusted her bag as she readied herself for the walk to the owl house. She blinked when she saw Boscha leaning against the locker next to her. 

"Can I help you?" She asked the three eyed witch.

"Just waiting for us to leave." 

"Us?"

Boscha moved closer and whispered, "You're going to train with the rebellion. Aren't you?"

Willow nodded, wondered how exactly the other witch had figured that out, and was about to ask how.

"Well I'm coming with you." Boscha stated it as if it were just an obvious fact.

Willow's train of thought derailed at her words, her mouth opened and closed like fish. She tried and ultimately failed at finding anything she thought would actually stop Boscha from joining the rebellion. Willow just sighed, slinging her bag over her shoulder, "well come on then."

\-----------------------------

Eda and Lilith looked surprised as they saw Willow with Boscha in tow. The sisters were more than aware of Boscha. Her reputation was hard to miss, especially as the captain of the grudgby team. She was disrespectful, brutal, rowdy and her loyalty to most things was questionable at best. They gave Willow a look that could only be described as Titan why and the witchling just replied with a silent, this wasn't my idea either. Their unspoken conversation was quickly interrupted by the pink haired witchling. As she marched up to the sisters.

"I'm here to join your rebellion." Boscha said, a determined look in her eyes.

Lilith and Eda exchanged a glance, before the elder one said, "Give us one second." They moved farther away and began whispering.

"What the hell do we do?" Eda asked, looking at her big sister.

"Why are you asking me? This whole rebellion was your idea. Besides the kids only just healed, we haven't had time to start any recruitment plans yet."

"I know. So I don't know if we're in the position to turn someone down. But how the hell do we even know if she is going to work well with the others. She's kind of a prick."

Lilith paced slightly, "Well, there was a technique that the coven used on particularly unruly recruits."

"And that is?" 

"Have them fight the strongest of the other recruits, let them get a few licks in and then promptly beat their ass."

Eda pinched the bridge of her nose, "YOUR TECHNIQUE IS THE SAME AS THE BEAT THE STRONGEST GUY UP RULE IN JAIL?!"

"Yes, but theoretically, the strongest wins." Lilith added, trying to be hopeful.

"And what do we do if Willow loses?!" 

"I don't know. At least in the emperor's coven they always lost." 

"There are not words for how much I hate you right now." Eda grumbled.

"I mean we could always have her fight the house demon?" Lilith offered.

"Fight Hooty by herself?! That's child abuse. It's hardly a fair fight with nine of them."

"So it's literally up to Willow then?"

"Fuck me." Eda huffed, "Willow! Get over here!"

Willow scampered over to the witches, "I tried to get here to stop but there's no arguing with Boscha-"

"Yeah, yeah we know that, kid." Eda waved her off, "I need you to fight her. Just let her get a false sense of security that it's gonna be easy and then kick her ass."

"Are you asking me to hustle in a fight with someone who has bullied me for years?" Willow asked bluntly.

"Yes."

Willow rubbed her chin before looking up with a surprisingly devilish smile, "Am I allowed to break bones?"

"The fuck?! No! Rough her up, don't kill her." Eda snapped.

"What about a black eye? I mean she has three."

"Okay, one more comment like that and Jerbo is fighting her." 

Willow whined slightly as she walked back with the older witches trailed behind her.

"Should we be concerned about how excited she is for this? I feel like we should be." Lilith said, nervously.

"Bitch this was your idea!" Eda snapped.

"You even said it was a bad idea!"

"Yeah well we don't have any other ideas so.....whatever happens it's your fault."

"Fine." Lilith sighed as they reached the teens, "We will decide based on a witch's duel. Boscha, you'll be fighting Willow."

Boscha and Willow grinned, while the other teens expressions ranged from concerned to panicked. 

Eda sighed, as she stood between the two girls, "Alright, I want a good clean fight. And for the love of Titan, don't kill each other."

The duel began quickly, with Boscha immediately throwing fireballs towards Willow, who barely blocked them with vines. The three eyed witch glared as she summoned three abominations. 

"You holding back on me?!" Boscha yelled, "What! you think I can't handle it?!" One of Boscha's abominations threw their head, hitting Willow directly and knocking her to the ground. The three eyed witch prepared another fireball as she walked closer, "Is that really all you got?" She growled, daring the other witch to attack.

Willow smirked as she stood up, and wiped Abomination goo off her face. She moved closer and her eyes glowed a solid green as the grass erupted around her. Boscha blinked, suddenly lost in the tall grass, when a vine grabbed at her leg. Boscha grinned as she summoned a blade and sliced it just as it was about to drag her off. "You think you can handle me, three eyes?" Willow taunted.

"You weren't the only one holding back bitch" Boscha chuckled as she burnt down the grass, running at the other witch, slicing through every plant that Willow summoned in her way. 

The others watched carefully from the side lines, eating popcorn. 

"Okay, are they flirting? Like I'm not good at this shit. And I can't tell if they want to kill each other or make out. Is that just me?" Luz asked, and the other nodded. 

"Oh they are definitely flirting." Emira grinned, shoving a handful of popcorn in her mouth.

"Fuck if they train like this every time, we're gonna need more popcorn." Jerbo smirked, throwing popcorn into his boyfriend's mouth.

Eda and Lilith just groaned burying their heads in their hands.

Willow wrapped vines around her arms and summoned a heavy spiked tree branch that looked like a mace. Boscha summoned a shield and they exchanged blows. Willow growled as she swung her mace, busting through the other girl's shield with ease. Boscha turned her blade slicing through the wooden mace, and grinned before getting punched from the other side. She staggered back, tripping over vines Willow had wrapped around her foot and fell on her ass into the dirt. 

"You're done." Willow smirked, reforming her mace.

"I'm not going to lose." Boscha snapped, rolled away from the mace as it smashed into the ground.

"You're not getting a choice." Willow growled, as the ground cracked around her mace.

Boscha stumbled, her breathing heavy, as she glared at the other witch. "I'm not letting my cousin die for nothing." She screamed, as she set her summoned battleaxe aflame. She lifted her weapon high, when vines yanked her back hard into the dirt. Her summoned weapon broke as did her flames. She panted heavily as defeat sank into her bones. Her energy was spent. Her eyes turned glossy as she saw her chance at vengeance slip away. Her cousin's death would stay him being nothing more than a pawn in a game he didn't want to play. 

Willow huffed before falling to her knees. She smiled at her opponent, which caused a confused look on her face. 

"Titan. You kids really fucked up my lawn." Eda laughed, as her and her sister helped the teens up.

"That was impressive. I don't think I've seen enough use of summoned weapons and fire magic." Lilith said, a look of pride on her face, "You two seem to push each other. If we're to survive in war. We need that."

"But I lost?" Boscha wheezed, as she took a glass of water from the sisters.

"You can't improve without failure. If this is where you're at with just grudgby training. You'll be a formable fighter." Lilith smiled, patting the girl gently on the back.

"Now, the important part. Are you going to rat us out." Eda glared.

Boscha turned to the owl lady, a fire behind her eyes, "The emperor killed my cousin, and many other people just because he wanted to make you look back. I'm not letting his death be meaningless. Fuck Belos."

Eda nodded, "Welcome to the rebellion kid."


	16. Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Boscha tries to find a place in the family  
> Recruitment starts  
> Bump calls Odalia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter. It really made my week! Feel free to comment below if you want! Hope you enjoy. Sorry for spelling errors.

Boscha was popular, she always had been. She may not have been loved, even she knew that. But she was respected. Feared. She had friends, although she wasn't close with them. She never needed to be. She had Tom and her great aunt. They were all she needed, but they weren't here anymore. Her great aunt had died a few years back, from illness. She didn't take it well but then she had Tom. And now she had no one. 

She had been training with the rebellion for about a week now. And while she fought and trained with them. They tended to keep her at a distance. She had been on teams before, hell she was a team captain. She knew about training and working with other people. The rebellion wasn't a team. It was different. Teammates and even friends didn't act like this. There was a hierarchy there. Coach, assistant coach, captain, star player and then everyone else was ranked on skill. Her social group had a hierarchy, she and previously Amity were both from the most respected families and the others either were from slightly lower families or were powerful enough to be deemed worthy of their time. If you seemed too weak or your family fell from grace you were cut and replaced. Just like the weakest player. Everything she had was from status, as the top of the potions track, as the grudgby team captain, as a powerful witch and her family name. 

The rebellion didn't work that way. They had leaders, obviously. The Clawthrone sisters were the trainers and the coaches. They planned things and gave the orders. However, both sisters seemed to be on equal footing with each other. They bickered but they didn't fight for the number one spot. The command below them seemed completely nonexistent. There were definitely stronger witches. Edric and Emira were top of their track, and while Gus skipped grades and had skill, he wasn't neither as powerful as they were. Amity was top of the Abominations track and Willow was now at the top of the plant track. They were obviously heavy hitters. Then there was the others. The multitrack kids had skills but clearly being divided between tracks meant they were less skilled at each compared to being just in the one track. Then there was the human, who was in every track and had no born magical abilities. Yet, they all seemed to be on the same footing. They corrected each other, and learned from each other. Hell she'd heard them purr around each other and not just the couples. The thought of doing that around her teammates was uncomfortable at best and inappropriate at worst. She didn't even purr much to begin with, the only person she really purred around was her cousin. The realization hit her, as her ears folded back. They were a family. The sisters even checked them over for injuries and gave them snacks. They acted more like how her great aunt did more than any coach. She was part of the rebellion but she wasn't one of their family. 

She packed her things as the others readied themselves for movie night. They all ran down towards the basement, arguing over which movie to watch. She sighed as she headed towards the door. 

"Leaving early again, eh?" Eda said, leaning back on her couch.

"They don't want me there." She shot back, although the hurt in her heart bled through.

"Not so easy being the outsider, is it kid?" The older witch said nonchalantly, her gold and silver eyes stared pointedly.

Boscha's ears flicked back as the words hit home, "I get it. I'm an asshole. You don't need to rub it in."

Eda sighed, adjusting herself to a sitting position and patted the spot next to her, beckoning the teen to come.

The three eyed witch dropped her bag and walked over, sitting on the other end of the couch.

"I wasn't exactly well liked in school. I was a troublemaker and while I had friends. I didn't have a lot of people that I was super close with aside from Lily. Her and Granny were my entire life and when Lily left to train with the Emperor's coven. It was just me and Granny for a bit. But she was old and started getting sick. I dropped out of Hexside to help take care of her but there wasn't much I could do. When she died, I felt more alone than ever. I didn't join a coven and most of my friends from school had already moved onto their careers. Most of them wouldn't have talked to me anyways after I was cursed. People thought I was a monster. So I did the only thing I thought I could do and isolated myself. I was free from everything, I had no coven, no job, no responsibility but I also didn't have anyone to talk to. Hell, part of the reason Owlbert and I are so close is for the longest time, he was my only friend. People didn't mess with me cause they were afraid of me. But fear is a lonely bedfellow kid."

"How else do you get people to respect you?" Boscha snapped, as she placed her chin on her knees.

"Did you respect your cousin cause you were afraid of him?"

"What? No. He wasn't even that powerful. I respected him cause I loved him."

"There's your answer."

"But they don't even like me...."

"Well" Eda sighed, "Have you given them any reason to?"

Boscha sunk further into herself, "No..." She blinked as she felt a hand ruffle her hair.

"No better time to start than the present. If you want to get close with them, you're going to have to put in the effort. You're gonna have to put those walls down and that's scary. Trust me. I know." Eda laughed, "but being open doesn't make you weak. Being vulnerable doesn't make you weak. It's letting people in despite the chance they could hurt you that makes you strong. And nothing makes you more powerful than having people by your side. Revolution fought by one man is a losing battle."

Boscha bit her lip, as she glanced cautiously at the older witch. "You think they'll forgive me?"

"Amity tried to get Luz dissected when they first meant and now they're dating. Willow and Amity are best friends again after everything that happened. Weirder shit has happened." Eda grinned, patting the girl on the back before pulling her close, "and trust me if Willow can forgive that then your little crush might not be a total loss."

Boscha felt her face flush, "w-what crush?"

Eda chuckled, "You really never learned much about flirting past elementary school?"

"Shut up." Boscha growled half heartedly as she turned away. 

"Relax kid, your secret is safe with me. But, girls tend to like it when you're nice. Keep the confidence though, they really dig that. At least always works for me." Eda gave a cheeky smile.

"Yeah I really want dating advice from the person who's single, over 30 and lives with her sister." Boscha smirked.

"Hey! I'm single by choice and Lily only started living here last year." Eda grumbled but the smile never left her face. , "cheeky brat. Now go watch the movie with the rest of the brood."

Boscha grinned, "Sure thing boss." It faltered a bit as she headed down the stairs. She heard the sounds of purrs coming from the back room. She stood awkwardly in the doorway as she watched the others.

They pushed a bunch of mattresses that were on the floor together. Then cast a spell so they wouldn't slide, piling the large bed with pillows and blankets in a nest. They climbed in together laying on top of each other like kittens in a pile, as purrs vibrated the room. She coughed slightly, sucking in a breath as she walked in. She saw eight pairs of eyes shining back at her in the dark room and the purrs stopped. She felt fear rise and felt the urge to run. She clenched her hands into fists, keeping her nerves. Her eyes staring at Willow, whose ears flicked back defensively. She pretended she didn't see the others do the same and even the human did her best at baring her teeth. She stood before them, her ears drooping downwards and sunk to the floor.

"I know that I've been a bad person. And that I hurt a lot of you. I...I was wrong. None of you deserved how I treated you. Being around you all and training with you all has made me realize that and I want to do better. And I'm...sorry." Boscha said, as she started to curl in on herself, "I lost the last person I was ever close to and seeing you all act like a family....makes me remember how much I miss mine. And.....now...They're gone." Tears leaked from her three eyes, "I know I don't deserve your kindness.....I just want to feel like people care about me...and not just cause I could hurt them."

The others blinked a bit, Amity, Willow and Gus were especially at a loss for words. They had known Boscha the longest and none of them had ever seen or heard her apologize and actually sound remorseful. The image of the brash and ruthless girl who ruled over the school with an iron first and a golden pedigree, clashed with the broken sad girl in front of them. This girl was lonely, scared and grieving. The kind of person she probably would have made fun of in the past. Luz, ever the softie, turned towards Amity and Willow, with a pleading look in her eyes. She couldn't see their faces that well in the dim light but she knew their keen eyes could see hers. Amity bit her lip, her golden eyes cast to Willow, relenting any decision to her. Willow sucked in her breath, as she thought about everything Boscha had done, and remembered when Amity added on to the hate. She saw how much Amity had changed. This was different, Amity and her had at least started out as friends. Boscha had always been mean to her. Yet, she apologized. That doesn't undo what she did but to see her actually mean it, that was a lot. She smiled softly, leaving the purr pile and placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Come on. The movie is gonna start." Willow said, helping the other girl into the nest. 

Boscha wiped her eyes as she found herself squished into the pile. The purrs returned in full force as they snuggled as Luz hit the play button on the remote. The three eyed witch smiled softly to herself and for the first time since her cousin's death, relaxed.  
\---------------------------------

Lizzy sighed as she checked the Nighthawks Peaceful Protest page, she was the one who started it and so she usually spent some time going through it and getting rid of any trolls or copy pastas. She was a sixteen year old student at St. Epidrum and specialized in the bard track. She also ran a small band of protesters at her school, it was only about fifteen people but it was growing steadily. She twitched her ears when she heard something hit her window, getting up when she heard the noise again. She felt her jaw drop as she saw a figure in all black, with a full black owl helmet that covered their entire face. She watched as they cast a spell and a ladder appeared outside her window. She turned locking the door to her room, her parents were asleep but she didn't want to risk it and climbed into the chilly spring night. The figure cast another spell; this one however didn't seem to do much of anything, at least as far as she saw. Worry filled her slightly, as she approached. 

"You're one of the Nighthawks. Like the real ones. From Bonesborough." She said, in slight awe.

The figure nodded, "You're Elizabeth Snapdragon." They said, their voice sounded almost robotic, and she wondered vaguely if that was the spell they cast or if the helmet was enchanted.

"My....my friends call me Lizzy, umm what are you doing on my lawn at 3 am, here. Four hours from Bonesborough." 

"We're recruiting, a war is brewing and we need help to win it. Will you help us?" They asked calmly before leaning against a tree.

"Yes!" She grinned, "I want to help more than anything! I have friends! They're in my group! They could join too!"

"Give me names and I'll send associates to talk with them. But before you agree to anything. The night market massacre was only the beginning, I saw things there that will haunt me for the rest of my life. If you join, you will see things like that or Titan forbid worse. I don't want you to join without knowing what you are getting into. This isn't a protest. This is war." They said, despite the voice modulation, the pain was clear.

"I can't watch people get thrown in jail for nothing. I can't sit by and know people died because our Emperor tried to do a smear campaign and killed his own people to do it. I started that page because I wanted to do something about this." She responded, her tone was sharp and serious.

Despite the owl helmet covering their face, she swore she could see an unreadable expression. They placed a hand on her shoulder, "I'm glad you're willing to help, but I'm sorry for the cost. People your age shouldn't have to be fighting."

"Someone has to." She smiled meekly as she handed over a list of names.

The figure nodded, stepping back, as a spell seemed to follow them, making them disappear from view.

Lizzy climbed back up to her window and the ladder disappeared as soon as she stepped off. She laid on her bed as a mixture of feelings ran in her gut. Relief at finally being able to do something, pride in standing up for her rights and fear of the horrors that lay ahead. She closed her eyes and wished for the best.  
\------------------------------------

Odalia expected perfection. She had been pleased when her son's grades increased. And all her children's skills were improving greatly. If all three of her children were to join the emperor's coven, well that would only bring the Blight family more status. 

Her husband had informed her that the Emperor was preparing for war as the boiling isles grew more and more divided. The Emperor, however, had no plans of changing the coven system, so instead was forming the Emperor's Army, which would allow for people from different covens to join and temporarily gain access to all types of magic in service to the Emperor. The Emperor's coven still hadn't taken any new members as many of the barracks had been broken into and there was fear of spies among the ranks. Alador had told her that as soon as tryouts were available, the blights and many of the other established families would have the first go. As the Emperor's coven members were to serve as officers in the army. Blights weren't meant to be common foot soldiers. They were better than that, and far too powerful to be wasted on the front lines. 

A phone call pulled the woman out of her thoughts, she raised an already arched eyebrow at the caller ID and answered, "Principal Bump, what is the meaning of this call? Has one of the twins caused trouble. I promise it won't happen again." She grinned sharply.

"No, no, nothing like that Mrs. Blight. You see, your children are currently at the top of their tracks. I fear with the war looming. They might start to slip by the time the Emperor's coven will be taking recruits again. As Blights, having your children fail to pass the tryouts would be a great shame."

"Yes well, Amity at least will make up for her siblings. Emira might have a chance if Edric would stop dragging her down. Although lately even Edric has failed to disappoint me." Odalia said coldly, "What are you suggesting Bump?"

"Well, I was going to offer private tutoring for them. Even after the twins graduate, their skills will stay sharp and any competition will be wiped clean. Edric might be the least naturally gifted but he is the least gifted Blight. A rare sapphire with a flaw is still more valuable than a common rock. With my help, I'll make sure they perform better than all of their competitors. However it will require a lot of their free time and of course extended trips."

Odalia drummed her pointed nails on the desk, "and what do you get in exchange? Good things always have a price and your offer sounds good to be true."

"You were always a sharp one." Bump laughed, "Hexside has been experiencing some financial issues, and Kikimora herself has made an offer. If I can get multiple of my best students into the Emperor's coven when the time comes, the grant money will be enormous....Of course any donations to me for giving your children an advantage by making a sacrifice of my own personal time would be...much appreciated."

"I'm sure they'll be strictly used for school funding." Odalia smirked, as she placed her hands on her oracle sphere. The smoke filled the ball before showing her children in Emperor's coven uniforms. "You have yourself a deal. And don't worry. All checks will be in your name, in case you would like to spread the funding between yourself and the school."

"Thank you, Odalia. You were always one of my favorite students. The children will start Monday." Bump smiled as they ended the call. He immediately slumped in his chair as he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He stared at the documentation on his desk, the letter heading held the emperor's seal. He growled to himself as shoved it in his desk drawer. He would need it as proof if Odalia came snooping. He smirked to himself, Odalia had always been a talented oracle at least with things that weren't personal. Oracle magic was incredibly fickle and required a clear unbiased mind, which is why no oracle prediction can be wholly accurate. Odalia's predictions when it came to her children were often clouded by her personal ambitions. He knew this well from when she was a student. He also knew the best lies were the ones with at least some truth to them. Kikimora had contacted all the schools on the boiling isles with letters, promising grand rewards for the school who could get the most students in the emperor's coven. And at any other time he would have been striving for that, but he had other plans. The Emperor had killed his students, children who had bright futures ahead of them and he would be damned before he sent more to die for nothing.. He grinned slightly as he called Eda.

"Did it work?" The owl lady asked pensively.

"Better than we could have dreamed. And Odalia Blight will be personally donating her money to our cause." He chuckled, smugness dripping from his voice.

"I always knew you had a devious side Bumpykins." 

"Yes well, until we can find a secure solution to remove the children from under her thumb. At least giving them an excuse for where they're at is better than nothing." He sighed, memories of a once bright eyed witchling who's parents' hold choked out her kindness flashed before his eyes. He hadn't been able to do anything then but he had a chance now.

"Thanks....ya know when I was in school. I honestly didn't think you cared....I feel kind of like a jackass now." Eda laughed uncomfortably.

Bump smiled softly, "Motherhood has softened you Edalyn."

"Oh fuck off. I'm trying to be nice here." She groaned.

The old man laughed heartily, "thank you Eda, and I should have the money for our supplies by Monday."

"Sweet, see you then. And you're helping with training. At least while I'm gone with the new recruits."

"Of course." He smiled as they ended the call. He cracked his knuckles as he pulled out a piece of paper and wrote a few different ideas on the page. If they were going to be leading troops. They needed to know how to act under pressure. And he knew exactly how to do that.


	17. One year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been one year since Luz first came to the boiling isles  
> Everyone is having a bad day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for getting me to 200 Kudos. It honestly makes me so happy. I hope you enjoy.

Today was not a good day for Luz. It had been a year since she came to the boiling isles. She felt tears prick her eyes as she dragged herself to her feet. She wasn't going to sit and be sad. She was tired of being depressed. She growled to herself as she went down to the impromptu gym Eda had set up in the basement. Luz wrapped her knuckles and glared daggers at the sandbag that hung from a large chain. She thought of everything that upset her, the innocent people who died, how the Blight siblings were treated by their parents, Belos for trying to kill Eda, and herself for burning her only way home. She slammed her fist into the bag, the chain groaned as the bag swung. She remembered when she first arrived, she was shorter and she couldn't lift the handle on the prison cell. A lot had changed in a year, a lot of wonder and a lot of pain. She decided that this sandbag would be her target. The victim of all her pent up rage and sadness, and she was feeling merciless.  
\-------------------------------------

Eda tapped her foot nervously as she tested the book. She bit her lip as she watched her sister cast the spell. She watched as a lock appeared to flash on the cover. The sisters' faces fell as they stared at the one thing they knew that could get their human home. 

Eda slammed her fist on the table, "Of fucking course it's a seal."

"Seals aren't unbreakable. They're designed to be unlocked." Lilith added, trying to be hopeful, although even she didn't believe it.

"Seals can only be unlocked by a specific thing and ya know that thing was probably the key that was destroyed with the fucking door." Eda growled as she buried her hands in her hair, "a year's worth of research and study and all for a dead fucking end."

"At least now we know the main enchantment. Seals can be broken by other things. Let's not throw in the towel yet. We still have books on seals we can use." Lilith said, placing a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder. "Let's take a break for now."

Eda sighed as she followed her sister out of the room. They made their way into the kitchen to start breakfast. Amity, who was clad in a pair of Luz's shorts and one of Luz's shirts, yawned as she walked in. "Hey, have you seen Luz? She wasn't in bed when- I mean she wasn't in her room when I woke up."

The Clawthrone sisters, who were more than aware of what having a house full of horny teenagers meant, raised their eyebrows slightly at the obvious lie. Amity just looked down, her ears flicked back as she poured herself a cup of coffee. 

"Check the gym, she's been sneaking down there at night when she's upset and thinks everyone is asleep." King said, as he stretched, before turning to glare at Amity, "Also, it's rude to move the king of demons when he is sleeping."

"King, I wanted food. I wasn't going to let you lay on my feet til you woke up. You sleep 18 hours a day." Amity grumbled, "and why didn't you tell me she was sneaking down there?!"

"You're in her bed the whole weekend and some weekdays, I would have thought you would notice." King said, dryly as he poured himself some juice.

"I'm always exhausted when I'm sleeping here." Amity snapped and blinked as she watched the sisters choke on their drinks, "FROM TRAINING."

"Sure. From training." Eda coughed, as she watched the young witch shrink under her gaze. 

"Morning all." Edric smiled as he walked in, "Titan, what happened our training camps get bombed? What's with all the sour faces?"

"Today marks one year Luz has been in the boiling isles." Eda said, burying her head in her hands, "both of us need to leave to check on set up for the rebellion. And we hit a dead end with the portal book."

"That would explain the footsteps I heard heading towards the gym." Edric stated as he sat down next to his little sister.

"Seriously? Did everyone know Luz snuck down to the gym at night but me?" Amity huffed.

Lilith added more bacon to the hot skillet, "I don't know, why don't we ask Jerbo who is currently trying to sneak by in his underwear."

Edric's face turned a bright scarlet as his boyfriend, who was wearing a rumpled tank top and boxers sulked into the kitchen. Jerbo towered over Edric before leaning down to give him a chaste kiss. He pulled up one of the stools.

"How did you even see that? You weren't even looking at the doorway?" Jerbo asked, more impressed than bothered. He watched as a white raven flew in from the window and landed on Lilith's shoulder. "Nevermind."

Lilith held up a bit of egg which her palismen ate greedily before flying back out of the room, she placed a large plate of scrambled eggs and bacon on the table. "Now boys, you know we don't care what you do in the privacy of your own rooms. So long as you take the proper precautions." 

"Mom, you literally are the one who buys my birth control. We're good." Edric said, his face a deep crimson. 

"I know, this was more karma for the time I caught you two on the table in the potion lab." Lilith grinned, giving the boy a kiss on the forehead before moving to give one to the other two teens. "So when do you think Emira and Viney will be joining us?"

"How did you know Viney was here?" Edric blinked.

"I don't know why you act like this is some big secret. None of you are subtle and we are more than aware Viney and Jerbo are usually here at least once while you're over." Eda smirked at the teens, "Also Amity, next time you and Luz start fooling around in the middle of the night. Might I suggest a sound proof spell."

The teens, now thoroughly embarrassed, munched on their food. However all heads turned when they saw Luz walk in the doorway. 

The human's eyes were bloodshot, dark circles outlined them. Her shirt was soaked with sweat, the marks from the boxing wraps were clear on her arms, but she kept her hands out of sight. "We're gonna need a new sand bag." She said, casually as she took the juice from King who nyehed in protest. 

"Titan kid, you look like shit. What time did you get up?" Eda said, worry clear in her voice.

"What time is it now?" Luz asked, scratching at her neck.

"Ten." Lilith said, as her eyes tried to get a clear look at Luz's knuckles.

"Oh, I woke up at 5." Luz answered calmly, but froze as Eda grabbed her wrist. Her mentor grimaced as she looked at the dark bruises, the raw worn skin and the swelling that formed on the human's hands.

"What the actual hell kid?" Eda gasped.

"You should see the sandbag." Luz smirked, only to get a hand smacked upside her head. "Ow."

"You can't keep doing this, you're gonna break your fingers!" Eda snapped, "Hell, I think you might have."

"I'll be fine. I just needed some stress relief that's all. It's not that big of a deal." Luz grumbled but as she looked around at the fear in her family's eyes she felt guilt slip in. "I'm sorry. I'll be more careful and won't train as long."

"Luz, why didn't you wake me up? You know you can talk to me." Amity asked, as she carefully took her girlfriend's bruised hand in her own. 

She seemed to deflate as she took a seat next to Amity, "What's the point? It's just the same stuff that always bugs me. Not like anything changed."

Eda stood wrapping her kid in a hug, kissing her forehead, "It's okay to miss your mom kid."

Luz felt herself crack as the dam burst. Tears streamed down her face, she felt Amity join the hug as she kissed her teary cheeks. 

Eda let out a slight groan as she scooped up the now much heavier teen, Luz just buried her face in Eda's neck as Amity followed behind. The older witch walked down the stairs to the medical ward/potion lab. Amity grabbed the Pillow for her girlfriend's head as Eda placed Luz down on the cot. Eda nodded and patted Amity's back as she left the room. Luz pushed against the bed to sit but her fingers wouldn't let her. Amity helped her up and sat next to her on the cot. Luz laid back down using Amity's lap as a pillow. She cried quietly as her girlfriend rubbed her back and whispered sweet reassurances to her.

Eda knocked repeatedly on what was now Emira's room, she watched as the teen cracked the door, she stood wearing a long nightgown. 

"What's up auntie E?" Emira yawned.

"Is Viney awake and wearing pants?" Eda asked bluntly causing the teen to blush.

"I'm awake. Give me a second on the clothes." Viney called as she pulled on her discarded pajamas, and leaned over her shorter girlfriend, "What did Luz do?"

"How did you know it was Luz?" Emira asked.

"You were in bed, Boscha's at home and if it were Edric, Lilith would have been knocking on my door." Viney sighed as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure she broke some of her fingers destroying the sandbag." Eda said as Viney followed up the hallway.

"Of course she did. Titan, why doesn't anyone in this house have any healthy coping mechanisms? You don't need a doctor for writing shitty angsty poetry." Viney grumbled.

"Hey, she's having a tough day and she's missing her mom, go easy on her." Eda said, her eyes looked downcast. 

"Fine but if Luz or Boscha gets hurt doing something stupid again, I'm going to tell you the medical effects alcohol has on your body." Viney yawned as she walked into the medical ward. She softened as she heard the sobs coming from the room. "Hey Luz, sweetie, can I see your hands please?"

The human nodded as she stuck her hands out, Viney bit back a grimace as she cast an X-ray spell, "definitely some fractures. Dude, did you keep punching the sandbag after you hurt your fingers." She watched as Luz avoided her gaze, "I should be able to bandage you up in no time. And I'll tell Jerbo to make sure you rest."

"I can watch her." Amity snipped slightly at Viney.

"Yeah and most of the time you follow her in her shenanigans. And I end up patching you up to. Besides once Jerbo gets into big brother mode you're not going anywhere. Trust me. I had a cold and he barely let me leave my bed. There we are. All wrapped up. Just let me get a couple of healing glyphs and we should be good to go." Viney smiled as she pulled the glyphs out of the drawer and carefully stuck them on her hands. "They should heal up okay in a few weeks but even then I wouldn't do anything major for at least a month."

"Thanks V" Luz mumbled, her eyes puffy and red. 

Viney just patted her head gently, "Just take it easy okay kid?"

Luz nodded quietly as she curled into Amity. Viney and Eda exchanged a worried glance and the younger Witch pulled out her scroll, already texting the others. She headed out of the room and went up for breakfast. 

Eda rubbed her kid's back gently, as her brain fought with what to do. She needed to check on the camp and drop off supplies. She also wanted to make sure that their ex coven trainers did their job. She wanted to stay and dig through every book in the boiling isles til she found a way to bring her kid home. 

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts as Jerbo walked in. He smiled wearily at the owl lady and placed a hand on her shoulder. She gave his hand a gentle pat and moved aside.

He leaned down and patted Luz's arm lightly, "You want to go upstairs for a bit or you want to stay down here?"

Luz turned her exhausted gaze to him, "I think I'd choose my bed." She smiled although it didn't meet her eyes. She huffed a bit as Amity helped her sit up. She blinked as Jerbo scooped her up. "I can walk. I just can't use my hands that well."

"You look dead. Besides this way I know you won't trip over your own feet." He smiled as he began walking towards the door.

Luz felt a tinge of her pride yell at her for letting him carry her, but logic told her she was too tired to fight it and Jerbo wouldn't have relented much anyways. If you were hurt or sick, Viney was the one who gave you the treatment and Jerbo was the one who made sure you stuck to her orders. They often jokingly called him Dad, much to his disdain. 

He set her down gently on her bed, moving aside carefully as Amity climbed in next to Luz. "Holler if you need anything." He said softly as he left the room.

Luz snuggled close to Amity, and let her girlfriend's purrs lull her to sleep.  
\----------------------------------

Eda growled as she packed her bags. She glared as her claws accidentally shredded one of her shirts. She grumbled trying her best to retract them but she was too stressed.

"When do you want to tell her about the book?" Lilith asked, her own look of stress and worry clear on her face.

"She spent five hours beating her knuckles into a bloody mess because she misses her mom and you want me to tell her that our biggest lead to getting her home might be completely unusable? And that our next best option is to try to break into the Emperor's castle while we're in the middle of setting up a rebellion to dethroned him." Eda said, exasperated.

"Well we can't just not tell her. She deserves to find out. This affects her more than anyone else." 

"I know that, but we're going to be gone for a few days. I don't want to just tell my kid devastating news and then fuck off. I told the others to keep their mouth shut about it. And I'll tell her when I get back." Eda sighed, as she ran her claws through her hair.

"Alright fine. But promise me you'll tell her when you get back." Lilith said, a sternness in her voice, "the longer you wait the harder it will be on everyone."

"I promise Lily.....fuck I hate this." Tears welled in the owl lady's eyes.

"I hate it too." Lilith said, hugging her sister, "but we owe her the truth."

\----------------------------------------

Jerbo sweeped up the remains of the broken sandbag. He was stressed, he was always kind of stressed but lately things were getting more serious. He saw the posters recruiting for the Emperor's Army everyday on his walk to school. The owl house barely stayed in one spot very long as the guards were searching for them. More and more of their missions were them stealing supplies for their new camps throughout the isles. He also knew as soon as he left Hexside, Eda would be placing him in charge of one of these camps. It scared him more than he cared to admit. He wasn't sure if he could lead an army, let alone protect them. 

"You need some help, love?" Edric smiled, as he held the dust pan.

Jerbo returned his smile but Edric knew it was forced. Jerbo continued to sweep.

"So are we going to talk about what you're upset about or are we just going to clean?" Edric asked, as he dumped the sand into the trash can.

"I guess....I'm overwhelmed. My parents were always worried about me getting in trouble before, after Luz helped start the multitrack program. My grades came up and my moms relaxed. Now, I'm almost about to graduate, I'm working on my staff, I'm spending more of my time helping out with the rebellion than at school and my moms are more worried than ever. On top of that our rebellion has barely any money, we're constantly short on supplies. Luz is going through an entire mental crisis and I can't seem to find anything I can do to make anything better." Jerbo growled as he kicked the broken sandbag, "and soon I'm going to be put in charge of a camp and expected to be able to run it."

Edric frowned as he rubbed his boyfriend's back. Jerbo was hardly ever angry, and seeing him mad enough to kick something worried him. "I think we're all overwhelmed and scared. I definitely am. But I always tell my sisters when they're stressed to worry about the things they can fix and just let the stuff they can't be. Your moms are gonna be scared no matter what. We can't do anything about that. Money and supplies....I don't know where to even start with that. So we can just put that aside. School.....I mean that's up to you. Many people leave school early."

"They leave because they joined a coven. Most people don't just fuck off." 

"I mean you kind of already have. Besides your only coven choice would be the E.C. and we know that's not an option. I think it might upset your moms but if it's best for you. Maybe you should leave hexside. I mean I've learned more about magic and spells during training than I ever did in school. The only reason I'm staying for my last year is because my mother would end my existence. If I could leave hexside and just stay and work with the rebellion, I would." Edric sighed, as he leaned his head against his boyfriend.

Jerbo wrapped his arms around Edric and rested his chin on his head, "You're right. I mean I doubt my moms would be that pleased but I mean, they're already displeased, it's not like it really makes that much of a difference. And this way I can keep a closer eye on Luz." He bit his lip as he looked down at his boyfriend, "how are things going....with your parents?"

"As good as they can be. Mother was able to get Emira and I special exemptions from having to join any coven until the E.C. is taking members again. My grades are good and as long as she thinks I'm training with Bump. We're safe. She calls paying for me to be in these lessons, My second chance, to be a Proper Blight. But it's nice actually being able to get away from that, even if it's only on the weekends mostly. It's nice having an actual family. And for all the shit and the stress this whole mess has put me through. It also gave me people who would give their all for me. And it brought me closer to you." 

Jerbo smiled lifting his much shorter boyfriend up to kiss him. "Your mother is a bitch. If she had any brains she'd see the skill you have and just how wonderful and unique you really are. You might not be a Proper Blight but you're doing the best you can and you should give yourself credit for that. You're charismatic, sharp and you're smarter than most people give you credit for. You're gonna be great at whatever you do. Especially being a leader."

"Hey don't sell yourself short. You're one of the few people who can butt heads with Viney and actually win. Boscha and Luz listen to you. You're basically everyone's big brother, you're going to be a great leader. Don't doubt yourself so much."

Jerbo smiled as he pulled his boyfriend in for another kiss. He was still scared but he felt better. He had options now and he wasn't alone. He hoped he could give some of this advice to Luz when she woke up from her nap. For now though, he went back to cleaning up the spilled sand.


	18. Fears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teens vent about their problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy! I wanted to give you a chance to see how the others are handling the growing rebellion.

Emira cast the enchantment on the helmets. The Clawthrones didn't want any of the kid's families to be attacked because of their involvement and the blights especially couldn't be seen as part of the rebellion. Not with their father in the Emperor's coven. So the helmets had been their compromise. The face of the helmet was an owl although the exact species changed from helmet to helmet. The eyes were solid gold color which contrasted against the dark black metal. They almost looked like they were crafted from twilight itself. Emira carefully grabbed hers which bore the face of a screech owl. She looked into the mirror nearby and moved her eyes, she smiled as the solid gold eyes of the helmet matched her movements and the eyebrows did the same. As she grinned she swore the mask did its best to match the look. She pulled the helmet off and repeated the enchantment on the other nine helmets. 

"How's it going down here?" Viney yelled, chuckling as she saw her girlfriend jump slightly in surprise. "Sorry."

"Sure" Emira smirked, "Well I just finished the facial mimic enchantment on our helmets."

"Sweet! Which one's mine?" Viney grinned madly.

Emira laughed as she grabbed a helmet that looked like a great horned owl, "For you my love."

Viney slid on the helmet, and the golden eyes moved flicking from side to side, before a smug look formed, "Do I look sexy or what?" 

Emira snorted, "Alright, the enchantment works now take it off, I have to add the voice modulation enchantment."

"Wow, normally I'm the one telling you to take it off." Viney winked as she saw the bright red her girlfriend's cheeks turned as she tossed her the helmet.

"S..shut up." 

Viney kissed her, "That make it better?"

"It helps." Emira sighed as she leaned into her girlfriend, "How's Mittens and the injured one?"

"Better than yesterday, although I don't know how much longer that will last. Luz is cuddled up with Amity on the sofa reading those Azura books together."

"Wow, look at Luz, actually resting for once."

"I know?! I think after how shaken up everyone was, I think she finally got it through her stupid thick skull that her well being matters to us."

"Do...." Emira looked away casting her eyes at Luz's helmet, "You think she did it on purpose?"

Viney sighed deeply as she ran a hand through her hair, "I honestly don't know. Maybe she thought the physical pain would be easier to deal with. Maybe she was just upset and punched too hard. Hell it could be both. But usually those who self harm aren't suicidal. Not that it makes anyone less worried about her. Titan, I thought Boscha was going to kill her when she found out."

"Boscha finally has a family again. Of course she'd flip shit. Luz and her are both Eda's kids. She's probably scared she was gonna lose her."

"Luz breaks her knuckles and she freaks out. But those two together get fucked up trying to rob one of the abomination track branches and they laugh their asses off while I stitch them up. " Viney grumbled, "I swear if those two no self preservation having bitches get put on another supply run together, I will kill Eda and Lilith."

"Yeah, even me and Ed aren't that bad." 

"Oh you come fucking close. Ya know you're lucky I love you."

Emira smiled and kissed her grumpy girlfriend, "What you don't like getting to save the day?"

"I have to save the day because you and your brother share one brain cell. The only reason you two don't get injured as much as Luz and Boscha is because you're not nearly as short tempered and you're better at illusions." Viney complained, "Even Puddles looks annoyed when you four end up needing patched up."

"Puddles is probably more annoyed that we don't have snackie treats than our injuries."

"Okay it's probably the lack of snackies, but my point still stands." Viney smiled, "speaking of Dad says we need more feed at the south camp."

"We'll rob one of the Beast keeping coven branches tomorrow." Emira said, turning back to the helmets. "I still can't believe how quickly he offered to help out."

"Babe. We're poor. We don't exactly have much to lose here." 

"I know..." Emira sighed, "it just must be nice being able to be open about everything all the time. Every time Mother asks about training or Father talks about joining the Emperor's coven. I just feel like a mindless gollum. We're all constantly scared we're going to get caught. And I'm so scared for Amity. I don't know if I want to think about what could happen if she's alone in that house."

"We'll figure something out. I'm sure your Mom probably has eighty different ideas buzzing around in her head to protect Amity from them. Titan knows she doesn't spend her free time relaxing. And even if she doesn't, if literally any of us find so much as a hair missing on her head you know Luz, Jerbo, Boscha and Willow will beat down the door if the rest of you aren't there. Hell I'd probably join that one." Viney smirked, as she rubbed her girlfriend's tense shoulders. 

"I love you."

"I love you too."

The sound of Boscha's cursing and Willow's laughing boomed through the floor above them.

Viney rubbed her temples as she left the room and yelled up the stairs, "I SWEAR TO TITAN IF ONE OF YOUR CHESS MATCHES ENDS UP WITH ME PICKING THORNS OUT OF ONE OF YOUR ASSES OR HAVING TO STITCH UP A CUT AGAIN. I WILL MOUNT YOUR HEADS ON A PIKE." The witch grumbled as she walked back into the room. "Damn stupid flirty dumbasses."

Emira giggled, "come on, you can help me with the enchants in the meantime. I'm sure whatever they do they'll be fine on their own for a bit."

Viney smiled, "Of course love."  
\------------------------------------

Willow and Boscha grumbled when they heard Viney yell. They picked up their game board and decided to take their chess match outside. 

"I still say you cheated last round." Boscha huffed, but a smile tugged on her lips.

"Don't be bitter that I beat you. Besides you always say I cheated." Willow answered, smugly, and bumped her gently with her shoulder.

"That's because you always cheat." Boscha stated firmly as they set up a small fold of table and chairs in front of the back door.

"And how exactly do I cheat?" Willow asked, raising an eyebrow at the three eyed witch.

"You distract me."

"I don't. We just talk. I don't pull any stupid distractions." 

Boscha smirked, as she took her first move, "I never said that you tried to distract me."

Willow suddenly felt warm, as she turned her focus back on the game. "Really? Seems like you're the one trying to do the distractions now."

"Only fair, beautiful" Boscha grinned sharply as the other witch blushed.

"You're infuriating." 

"Same."

A window opened slightly as Edric popped his head out, "WOULD YOU JUST KISS ALREADY?! IT'S BEEN MONTHS. "

"FUCK OFF" Both of the girls yelled while Edric cackled, closing the window before they threw anything.

Boscha coughed as she looked at Willow then quickly turned her gaze back on the board, "Titan that was annoying."

Willow kept her gaze steady, she and Boscha were friends now, even if they annoyed each other. However it wasn't as mean spirited as before. The others teased them constantly for flirting. She brushed them off as being annoying. Yet, something about how the three eyed witch always seemed a little off. Willow chuckled to herself, 'she doesn't actually like me...right?'

Boscha seemed to relax a bit as the game continued. She raised an eyebrow as she took a bishop with a pawn, "Alright, you're never this bad. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just a little irritated."

"What by Edric? He's just being an ass cause he thinks it's funny."

"I guess. They all act like that though."

Boscha scratched her neck awkwardly as she could tell Willow was testing her. She knew her strategies well enough to know when she was probing. She bit her lip, as part of her pride refused to let her take the bait. "So?"

"You called me beautiful earlier." Willow smiled, she tried her best to bring back her smugness but her shyness cut it at its knees. She looked down. "you've actually said things like that a lot the past few months....."

Boscha panicked slightly, although it was mumbled, she still heard it. Her ears flicked back, "I......fuck....." She groaned, "I like you okay? You're smart, cute, and made me want to be a better person. Cause I know I don't deserve someone like you. There. Ya happy."

Willow's face flushed deeply, "Actually, you're actually pretty nice when you're not being a dick."

"Wait, do....do you like me?" Boscha blushed, a surprising amount of fear also flashed in her eyes. 

"You drive me crazy, you're annoying, bullheaded and....." Willow met the other girl's gaze, "And....yet...it's been really nice hanging out with you. I don't know.....how to even feel. These past few months have been great but you were an asshole for years. It's still kind of hard to get that image out of my brain."

Boscha sighed, "well.....I tried. Are you still okay if we hang out? As friends?"

"I think I'd like that....." Willow smiled softly, "I'm honestly surprised you didn't blow up."

"I mean, I'm disappointed. But I'm not exactly surprised either." Boscha moved a piece on the board, "And despite what my mother thinks, yelling doesn't seem to solve as many problems."

"She sounds like a peach." Willow smirked.

"She's always been kind of an ass, she has some stupid rivalry with Amity's mom. She always tried to put me in the same classes and stuff as her. I got mad at her about it and she backed off. She still slightly annoyed that I picked the potions track instead of abomination. But she got over it slightly." Boscha's face fell slightly, "Tom was actually the one who got her to shut up by pointing out her boss had been in the potions track at school. Although that point is kind of ruined now that Lilith is leading the rebellion."

"Oh...I didn't know your mom was in the Emperor's coven." Willow said, awkwardly as she moved a pawn on the board.

"Oh it's not just my mom. My uncles, one of my aunts. My grandpa and my great aunt were in it. My great aunt was actually the previous head of the emperor's coven. She retired and appointed Lilith actually." Boscha smirked as she took one of Willow's Knights.

"Aren't worried? I mean they're going to be in the war...."

"My aunt and uncles are kind of the worst. They always treated my cousin like shit. Especially his dad......and as for my mom....it's complicated. I don't want her to get hurt but I doubt she'd even consider leaving."

"I mean have you talked to her about it?" 

"What, you want me to walk up to her and say hey your nephew was killed by belos and also I'm in the rebellion."

"Don't be an ass. I mean. She was given the day off on....that day. She has to be a little bit suspicious." Willow offered, "and I mean if she at least backs off. She can't be all bad."

"She isn't. She's not that great of a mom but she's not a bad person. I'm just worried she'll start asking too many questions. I don't think she'd take it super well if she found out I was helping overthrow the government." Boscha smiled although it didn't meet her eyes.

"You won't know unless you try." Willow reassured, patting the other girl's hand.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt...." Boscha said, still looking a bit unsure. Her eyes glanced at the board, "Oh fuck you. I pour my heart out and you use that as an opportunity to get another queen?!" 

"All's fair in love and war." Willow answered, looking like the cat who caught the canary.

Boscha rolled her eyes, a soft smile on her face, "and you call me an asshole."

"Learned from the best." 

"Damn right."

\-------------------------------------  
Gus carefully spooned in the crushed blood roses into the potion, he glanced quickly at Barcus, for some sort of reassurance he was doing it right. He smiled as the dog demon nodded, and slowly he began to stir the mixture.

"Good job. If you keep improving at this rate, you should consider joining the potions track." Barcus smiled, adjusting his translator bracelet.

"Thanks, but I don't know if I need more work from school. Especially during all this." Gus said, a worried look in his brown eyes.

The dog demon handed over the next ingredient, easily sensing his friend's distress. Gus trained just as hard as them and was a fairly quick study on certain types of magic. However he was only thirteen and the stress was clearly taking a toll on him. He looked older, and not just because he was taller. Although after looking through the photos from when they first started, it was clear they all had aged. There was a sadness that seemed to haunt all of them. Something that lingered in their eyes that said they had seen too much too soon. Barcus waited as Gus filled the vials with the potion before gently rubbing his head against his side. "You doing okay?" Barcus asked carefully.

"No. But I don't think anyone is." His ears drooped as he sunk into the chair behind him, "I don't really know how to feel. I know you, Viney and Jerbo are probably going to be sent out to camps. The twins are only waiting til they graduate. And I guess I'm just worried about what's going to happen. I know Eda and Lilith talked about all ten of us being the same rank and since we're higher rank some of us will be put in charge. It's just....for so long it's always been us together. We've seen some really scary things but at the end of the day we were together. If one of us was in a bad spot, we'd just come together. I don't think we'll have that as an option much longer."

Barcus just looked up at the kid, "Yeah I think all of us are worried about that. I mean we're a family. We've relied on each other for a long time. It's going to be hard on everyone when we have to split up. Especially when some of us are leading charges. However, at least for a while, most of us will still be here. I know Viney and I have both talked to our parents about leaving hexside to increase our help in the war effort. So we'll probably be shipped out first. But everyone else will be sticking around for at least a little while."

Gus fiddled with the corks as he watched the vials chilling, tears leaked from his eyes, "w...what if not all of us come back after this all ends." 

"We make sure that they didn't die for nothing. And when we finally get a chance to mourn, we come together and bawl our eyes out. " Barcus laughed humorlessly, "listen, We're a family. And we don't stop being family just because we're not around each other every day or even if we're dead. Even if there's only one of us left after all hell breaks loose. We're still a family because we made each other's lives better and loved each other to our dying breath. And all that love is still there, even if it hurts."

Gus gave a bitter smile as he clenched and unbleached his hands, "Is it bad that I'm kind of upset I'm probably not going to be ever put in the front lines?"

Barcus blinked, the seventeen year old looked at the thirteen year old with a look that could only come from people who were close enough to be able to call each other stupid. "I'm sorry, do you want to die? Cause that is not the direct I saw this conversation going."

"What? No." Gus sighed, "It's just....all of you at one point are probably going to lead some sort of group or charge. And I know that's terrifying and awful but I don't want to sit by on the sidelines watching my family get blasted into nothing. I know I'm young but I train just as hard as everyone else and I stayed in this because I want to help. "

"There's so many parts to this that aren't combat. We need people to run supplies, we need messengers, we need farmers, we need healers and so much more than just foot soldiers. Not even all of us are going to be leading charges. Viney's going to help my parents train some of the newbie healers and she'll probably run a medical camp for recovery. The training is so she isn't defenseless if they do get attacked. I'm probably going to be with the oracles and helping plan strategies. Honestly I'll probably be bounced around so much I won't even have my own camp. You're a damn good illusionist, but illusion magic isn't just helpful in combat. Work with your strengths, you're smart and a quick study. You can do great things with that regardless if you're in active combat or help injured soldiers get transported safely to another camp. I'm sure you'll get your share of getting blasted regardless of if you're in the front lines or not."

"I...I just don't want to be the last one left." Gus felt the sob escape his throat.

Barcus pulled Gus into a hug, he felt the tears dampen his fur as he rubbed the boy's back. He wanted to tell him that everything was okay, that they'd all make it back alright. But he couldn't bring himself to lie. No one knew how this would end, and he couldn't promise even his own safety. All he really could do is be there for him now, so he was. Even if it was just one moment of comfort.


	19. Heartbroken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luz finds out she might not be able to go home

Luz and Amity lay together in Luz's bed. The witch was smaller than the human now, as she rested against Luz's chest, resting her small hand in Luz's larger one, being careful of her broken fingers. She purred softly as she listened to the human's heart beat, the gentle cadence being a firm reminder that her love was still alive. She moved her head to place a gentle kiss on her girlfriend's jaw.

"Talk to me." Amity said, breaking the silence.

"What if I can never go home again?"

Amity bit her lip, her thoughts swirled as she remembered what Eda had said about the book before she left. She knew Luz deserved the truth, but she didn't know if she was the right person to tell her. "We don't know that. We'll find something."

"After a year that really lost a lot of meaning." Luz sighed, "I...I wasn't exactly a great kid. I know I stressed my mom out a lot with some of the stuff I pulled. She had to get me out of the principals office like once every month. I always felt bad, she worked so hard raising me by herself. And I always seemed to fuck up. I thought by going to the boiling isles I'd finally found a place where I could be myself but I didn't think about how it could affect her. And now she probably thinks I'm dead and I went and started a fucking war so I might end up dead anyways regardless of if we can even make a portal."

"Well, all the more reason to not get yourself killed before we can get you back." Amity smiled, but even though her voice was even, Luz could feel her girlfriend's body tense. 

"Mi amor, you know.....really the only reason I miss the human realm is cause of my mom and my uncles. Even if we get a portal open. This." Luz gestured vaguely with her bandaged hand, "This is my home. And it might not make my Mami happy but I will come back as soon as I can. Cause I can't leave my family behind."

"You promise?"

"I promise." Luz smiled as she felt Amity relax, "Ya know, my mom would probably adore you if you ever get to meet."

Amity blushed, "really?"

"Titan yes. You're smart, top of your class. You volunteer to read to kids. You're kind and respectful. Add a doctorate and be fluent in Spanish and my mom would die of happiness." Luz chuckled, "granted we'd have to leave out the parts where you almost got me killed."

"Hey, you have far exceeded me in almost getting us killed. Besides, I don't think Bump was actually going to dissect you." 

"Well at the time I didn't really want to wait and see." Luz kissed the top of Amity's head, "besides I thought you liked trouble?"

Amity felt her girlfriend's smirk, and let out an amused sigh, "someone has to."

Luz laughed, "mi princesa, so cruel to her fearless champion?"

"I can't have you think I'm going soft now." Amity grinned, causing them both to laugh.

"I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about this earlier. I just didn't want to put more on you. I know this is hard on you, especially dancing around your parents."

"It's been tough hiding from them. Especially when I don't know when the Emperor's coven is going to be taking new recruits. Father says that mostly they're looking for officers to help lead the more common folk in the emperor's army. Aside from that lingering over my head. Just being able to get away from there, it's nice."

"I'm sorry if your escape is slowly becoming war planning and supply runs. And that your dream kind of fell apart. I know you wanted to be in the Emperor's coven a lot before all this shit went down."

"Luz, I'm a blight. From the day I was born, I was expected to be perfect. The emperor's coven was my parents' goal for me. I wanted it because it meant I was the best, that I would finally make them happy. But I realized that they're never going to be happy with me. The only reason they haven't been on my ass is because my grades are still great. And honestly I think that's at least partly to Bump and his training excuse." Amity snuggled closer to Luz, "Now, I have a real family. And I know that a real parent doesn't want you to be perfect, they want you to be yourself. A lot of bad things have happened and a lot more are in our future. But the only truly good thing about this rebellion is that it made us a family."

Luz hummed, "suppose there are worse consolation prizes....I just hope we don't lose it in battle."

"It's scary." Amity confessed, "before war was just a hypothetical. I mean I knew it could happen. And it probably would with what we were doing. It just felt further away. Like a storm on the horizon."

"The problem is, even now it's just sprinkling. All the signs are there. We're just waiting for the rest of the rain to fall."

"I hate it."

"Me too."

Luz and Amity sat in the silence, tension lingering in the air. They both knew there was something else the other wasn't telling them. The witch felt the weight of knowing about the book pressing down on her. She wrestled with the idea when Luz pulled her out of her thoughts.

"I...I still see the bodies sometimes....when I close my eyes. " Luz confessed and her girlfriend felt the tension rising in her body, "I can still smell the ash and blood too. Like I'm back at the market."

Amity felt tears prick her eyes as she curled closer to her, "Me too....when you went out on a supply run once....Lilith made tea for the rest of us and when the kettle started whistling we all panicked. We all kind of laughed it off at the time. But I don't think anyone that was there....went unaffected."

"I remember on that run, Boscha told me how she had wished she had been there...that day just....that maybe she could have saved her cousin or anyone..."

"Well now you can tell her that she's the only one who doesn't dive under the couch when they hear a tea kettle."

"You think we'll ever be okay again?"

"Bold of you to assume any of us were okay before." Amity smiled weakly, "I don't know.....I think that might depend on how things go."

Luz nodded, as she brushed her injured hand against soft mint locks, hazel eyes stared into gold briefly before they met for a kiss. "I love you."

Amity felt her face flush as she took in her girlfriend's words, "I love you too." A mixture of happiness and guilt swirled in her chest as she fell asleep in her love's arms. She meant what she said, but the truth about the book ate at her. The only relief was knowing Eda and her mom would be back soon.  
\--------------------------------------

"Here is the list of supplies we'll need"

"Thank you Major Hearthfire, excellent job on training. Lily was right to suggest you."

"Thank you General Clawthrone." The ex coven member smiled, giving Eda a salute, "and thank you for giving me a chance to avenge my friends."

"Of course." Eda smiled, patting the young woman on the shoulder, "one of the Colonels should be here in a month or so to relieve you of your duty here. We'll have new recruits at the eastern camp waiting for you."

"Yes General." The witch coughed slightly, "could you tell....the other General Clawthrone that I said hello?"

Eda resisted the urge to sigh, this was the fifth former coven member she met with that asked her to give a greeting to her older sister. Considering most of them were in their mid twenties and Lilith was pushing fifty, she was mildly impressed but was also wondering if mommy issues were a requirement for the Emperor's Coven, "I'll be sure to pass it on" She smiled as she left, pulling out her staff to fly back to the owl house.  
\------------------------------------

Eda yawned as she walked to the door, gently giving hooty a pat on the head. She smiled as she entered the living room. It had only been a few days but it was nice to be home. Exhaustion creeped into her bones, the flight had been long. She however knew Luz would be up soon, and she had to talk to her. She carried herself into the kitchen and started on a pot of coffee. Her ears twitched as she heard the front door open, she waved at her sister, who slowly made her way towards the brewing coffee.

"How'd your meetings go?" Eda asked as she poured two cups and slid one to her sister.

"Our northern camp got into a skirmish with some E.C. guards. We held them off thankfully and no one was seriously hurt but we did have to move our camp a few hours away. They're going to need more troops."

"Our southern camp just trained a new platoon. I'll send a message telling them to ship them north and the next one can go to the eastern camp. They're short on troops but they're fairly well covered and haven't gotten discovered yet." Eda sighed, as she sent a message to Major Hearthfire. 

"The western camp is doing surprisingly well, they've got excess food. "

"Send them south, they're close enough to the knee that it's hard to grow much down there." 

"I sent a message to Major Shattershield, they'll send some scouts out to the south camp." Lilith let out a yawn as she nursed her cup of coffee, "I assume you're waiting for Luz?"

"Yeah....I can't wait any longer. It's been gnawing at me the whole weekend. You..can go to bed if you want. I know you must be exhausted."

"Eda, I'm not letting you tell my niece this without me. We're in this together." Lilith smiled, giving her sister's hand a gentle squeeze.

"Thanks Lily."

"Always."

Minutes seemed to last hours as they sat, watching the sun rising for the dawn. The sky was ablaze with golds and pinks. Small bits of blue peaked through the bright rays. The cool summer morning seemed almost to mock them. Their terrible truth seemed like a dagger in their hands, that would be plunged straight through their girl's heart. They both wished this moment wouldn't come, but they heard the heavy steps and the tell tale creaks of the upper stairs. 

Luz smiled sleepily, before moving to hug the sisters, "Welcome back."

Eda and Lilith hugged her tightly, silently asking forgiveness for what was to come.

"Glad to see you didn't take Hooty on a joy ride this time." Eda grinned, but it didn't meet her eyes.

Luz rolled her eyes but the smile didn't leave her face, "one time and I'm branded for life." She helped herself to a cup of coffee before she sat down at the table.

"Luz, there's something I need to tell you...." Eda said, casting her eyes at the girl she considered her own. She swallowed back a lump that formed in her throat, "We found out something about the portal book."

Luz sipped her coffee, "I'm not going to the human realm any time soon am I?" A defeated look formed on the human's face, the bright sun shining on her. It seemed to highlight the despair in the human's eyes. 

"No. Probably not. It's a seal, and those are a very specific kind of enchantment. They required something to be unlocked and an extremely large but delicately placed amount of magic to break." Eda placed her hand on her kid's arm, "but there are still things we can try."

Luz did her best to clench her hands despite her injury, she felt her heart throbbing like it had been shot through. She turned as she felt another hand placed on her arm.

"I know Belos has something that can break seals. If worse comes to wor-"

"I can't....I can't have you do that. Last time I went to Belos' castle, it nearly got us all killed. There's too much riding on this rebellion for us to go waltzing into his hands. If we have to wait til the war is over...then we have to wait. It's not worth risking people's freedom for." Luz grinned but tears streamed down her face, "Can I be excused from school today?"

"Of course kiddo." Eda reassured as she and Lilith pulled the girl into a tight hug as she began to weep into her mentor's shoulder.

Lilith rubbed small circles on the girl's back, "I can get Amity or everyone up if you want?"

Luz just nodded and Lilith quickly made her way up to Luz's room. She gently shook the young witch.

"Mom?" Amity mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

Lilith gently placed her hand on the girl's cheek before giving her a kiss on her forehead, "Sweetheart, Luz...knows about the book."

Amity's golden eyes widened as the words hit her like cold water down her back, she got up immediately. She moved past the older witch, as she twitched her ears trying to pick up any sound of her love. She followed the scent of coffee as she saw Luz. She felt her heart shatter at the sight. 

Luz shook as Eda cradled her. The hazel eyes that normally carried so much light held nothing but despair. Amity hugged Luz, who moved to bury her head into Amity's shoulder. Eda blinked back tears as she leaned down to place a kiss on the girl's head. 

The kitchen soon filled with the rest of their family as each tried their best to comfort their favorite human. An alarm cut through their reassurances. 

"You can all stay home toda-" Lilith said but was quickly cut off.

"No." Luz's voice was hoarse from the tears, "It's too risky for them all to stay."

"Luz, are you sure?" Amity asked, her golden eyes filled with concern.

"I'll be fine." Luz smiled, which somehow managed to make her look more miserable with how forced it was. She turned when she felt a strong hand gently squeeze her shoulder.

"I'll be here, and so will Barcus and Viney. You guys can go on ahead." Jerbo smiled as he purred gently as he hugged Luz. 

"What about school?" Luz asked, looking up at him with red puffy eyes.

"We talked to our parents and Bump. And we dropped out." Viney said, as she ruffled Luz's hair affectionately. Barcus let out a woof in agreement as he nuzzled the human's arm.

The others looked skeptically at Luz, none of them really wanted to leave. However the girl gave them a pleading look and they sighed before giving her one last hug.

"We'll see you after school sis." Gus tried his best to smile as he wiped his tears.

"I'll make sure to take notes for you. Since you'd be in my homeroom today." Willow said, as she gently rubbed her friend's back.

"Hey, don't pull that shit you did a few days ago. You scared the fuck out of all of us. We're family now, and I don't want you to getting yourself hurt." Boscha grinned, but her watery eyes gave her away.

Edric and Emira just hugged her tightly, as they did their best to hide their tears.

Amity pulled Luz in for a kiss, resting her hand on her cheek, "I love you."

"I love you too." Luz smiled wearily as she kissed her love's hand.

Luz leaned into Jerbo as she watched them fly off. The young man sighed as he looked at Eda and Lilith. Both women looked like they were about to collapse. 

"You two go rest. We've got her." He reassured the sisters' as they each gave the girl a forehead kiss before they carried themselves to bed.  
\-------------------------------

Viney rolled her eyes as Jerbo walked back over to their spot and continued carving his staff, "Will you stop being a mother hen. She's asleep and we're right outside."

"I'm not being a mother hen. I'm checking up on her." He grumbled as he went back to carving. 

Barcus and Viney exchanged a skeptical look before they went back to carving their own staffs. However they knew when Jerbo was worried about someone, there was very little stopping him from making sure they were okay. He was called the big brother of the team for that very reason. 

Viney turned to the other, "I've been thinking....We've remained anonymous for awhile."

"I mean that was the whole point of the masks in the first place. Keep them from finding out who we were when we vandalized stuff." Jerbo said, like the statement was fairly obvious.

"Okay yes, but also if any of our relationships with Boscha or any of the Blights were to get out, they'd be fucked six ways to sunday."

"Yes, that's why our helmets disguise our voice and cover our whole face. Hell, the only limitation is we can't eat and drink with it on." 

"I was actually working on a more comfortable mask for that but that's not my point." Viney smirked as she set down the knife, "We can't exactly all just go by Colonel. It would be confusing.....so I figured we could come up with code names."

"That actually sounds like a great idea." Jerbo smirked, "Now if only Puddles shared your intelligence."

"Hey! She's not dumb. She just doesn't always understand how doors work. But she's gotten better."

Barcus ruffed, and Jerbo snickered, "yeah, she's definitely gotten better cause she's scared of Hooty."

"He's a stronger demon than her. Griffins are pack animals. Of course she's a bit nervous." Viney huffed, "besides we weren't talking about Puddles."

"Your code name can't be griffin." Jerbo said flatly.

"Why not?" Viney pouted.

"Your assistant is a griffin, that would be confusing and also I'm about ninety percent sure that your palismen is also going to be a griffin. Be more creative." 

"Okay smart guy, what would your codename be?"

Jerbo hummed, as he looked at the forest around them. He thought about different species of trees but those sounded a bit too boring. He scratched his chin then smirked when an idea struck him, "Ent."

"Your codename is a mythical sentient tree and you call me obvious." Viney smirked.

"Says the woman who would literally be working with a griffin all day."

"Bold words from a man who makes plant abominations." 

Barcus woofed a suggestion, causing Viney to smile.

"Medical theme eh? Not a bad idea...." The girl thought, as she ran sandpaper along the staff. She giggled slightly, "how about Bones?"

"That is like half of what you fix. Sounds good to me." Jerbo smiled as he applied the wood stain to his staff, "your turn Barcus."

The dog demon smiled and let out a ruff. 

"Mystic? Huh. You actually came up with one that's not on the nose." Viney grinned, "sounds like it's settled then."

They continued to work on their staffs as the comfortable silence started feeling more tense. They were excited about their staffs. However, there was also a sense of sadness that lingered. Staffs weren't just a tool, they were personal and they meant something to their witch. They also represented adulthood, a symbol of maturity and growth. The end of their childhood. 

The war was bubbling and they knew that they were going to be the first to be sent out. They were older and unlike the twins, they had nothing that could keep them at Hexside til graduation. 

"So, any of you know when you're getting shipped out?" Viney asked, as the others turned to her, "What it's not like we weren't all thinking about it."

"No, but if one of our camps already got attacked. I can't imagine it being that long. Edric's already nervous and I haven't even left yet. That's not even to mention my moms." Jerbo sighed, "and I'm worried about everyone else. Especially Luz."

"Yeah...Emira is scared too. My dad's actually really proud. So that helps. I'm more concerned about who's going to be patching up Luz and Boscha when they do something stupid for the millionth time." Viney turned when she heard Barcus ruff, "Yeah I don't they'll learn self preservation because I'm gone."

"You think they're gonna be alright?" Jerbo's tone told them he didn't mean just when they left.

Viney scoffed, "Alright is asking too much, pray to Titan we all make it back alive so we can work towards alright."

"On that lovely note." Jerbo said dryly as he stood up, "I'm going to go check on Luz again."

Barcus whined as he pulled his ears back. Viney sighed as she patted his head, "I'm scared too."


	20. Moving forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eda tries a stupid idea to unlock the book.  
> Boscha's parents find out she's in the rebellion  
> Luz isn't doing so great  
> The three troublemakers finish their staffs

Eda stared at the portal book as a thought ran through her head. This book was old, older than some of the savage ages. Magic like that was more about sacrifice. You fuel the spell not only with your magic but part of yourself or someone else. Blood magic was still practiced by healers but it wasn't sacrificial. These spells were incredibly dangerous and difficult to pull off. A few drops of blood most could spare but these ancient magics sometimes had a much higher cost. As witches evolved so too did their magic and it moved away from a lot of the brutality, not only because some of them were cruel. Magic like this almost had a mind of its own, and will consume its own caster if not done right. 

Eda carefully pulled her pocket knife out, flicking it out as easily as taking a breath. She stared at the sharp jagged blade, and carefully ran her thumb across It's teeth. Red blood bloomed from the cut as she carefully squeezed a drop out. It touched the charred cover of the old book. Gold and grey eyes stared desperately looking to see any type of magic. Yet the drop rolled off, not even leaving a trail, as if the book itself was rejecting her offer. She growled, refusing to let the aching and guilt in her heart make her shed any more tears. "Whoever made you, was a Goddamn jackass. " The book just laid on the desk, completely unchanged aside from the burns it sustained due to spell attempts to translate or decode it. 

She bit her lip in frustration, as she stared at it like it was a puzzle with half the pieces missing. She felt a tear run down her cheek, she watched with bated breath as she picked up the book. It, much like the blood before it, slid off of it like rain off plastic. She slammed her hand against the desk, as she stood. She might not be able to do much with the book, but she still could help Luz. She let that be her solace as she left to start her day.

\-----------------------------------------------

Luz was sprawled on the couch, she held her hands above her face, watching as she flexed them. They were sore from lack of use but she was grateful for the full mobility back. She grabbed a deck of cards and shuffled them quickly. She smiled at the familiar feeling, it helps her focus and relax as she fiddled with the cards in her hand. She felt herself fall into a hyperfocus as she tried more intricate moves. She slid them up her sleeve and fanned them out. The cards almost seemed to dance in her hands. 

"I see all the times you were resting from one of your injuries paid off." Viney smirked.

"Hey I fiddle with them in my free time now. Just gives my hands something to do." Luz smiled as she set the deck down, and sat up, "The staffs done?"

"Mine is, Jerbo's is. We're just waiting on Barcus to finish up. "

"Can I see them?" Luz asked, hopefully. 

"We're waiting on Barcus to do the big reveal. But it is nice to finally see you smiling again." Viney grinned, ruffling the younger girl's hair.

"I mean I have been wanting a staff since I got here so seeing yours is exciting, by and by though, most days I'm just emotionally numb. So now is more of an exception than the rule." Luz explained, casually as she grabbed a mug of tea on the table.

Viney blinked slightly at the bluntness, "that definitely doesn't sound healthy."

"It is not."

"Well, points for self awareness I guess." 

"Hell yeah." Luz grinned at Viney who pinched the bridge of her nose.

"That's still not good......ya know what nevermind." Viney flopped down on the sofa next to Luz. "Where's your better half?"

"In the greenhouse, Willow and her are giving each other lessons in each other's track."

"I'd be surprised if they learn anything over the sound of Boscha's pining." Viney smirked as she grabbed a cookie off the plate on the coffee table.

"Boscha's not gonna be here for the next few days." Luz sighed, "Her mom caught her sneaking out so she's grounded."

"Fuck. Hope she didn't get caught with anything suspicious." 

"Well the coven isn't trying to bust down our door. So I assume not." 

"Not yet at least." Viney said, a serious look in her eye.  
\-----------------------------------------

Brutus Lachance watched as his wife growled as she paced a line in the carpet of their bedroom. He ran a hand through his graying blonde hair before he cast his three eyes at his wife. He stood up and wrapped her in a hug. He smiled as he felt her relax slightly in his arms.

"What the hell are we going to do?" Sacha asked, fear finally overtaking her anger. The two eyed witch turned to face her husband. "We already lost Tom. I can't lose her too."

"Well, we haven't lost her yet." Brutus smiled weakly, "I mean we don't know for sure she's in the rebellion."

"Even if she is...she's probably better off than me....Lilith actually talked to us. Kikimora just gives orders and barely tells us anything else." Sacha sighed, she felt her husband place a kiss on her head, before brushing her magenta hair out of her face.

"You still think she's hot?" Brutus smirked as his wife elbowed him in the ribs.

"Fuck off." She grumbled, "We're having a conversation about our daughter possibly being in a rebellion to overthrow the Emperor and you bring up my crush from hexside?"

"Just trying to lighten the mood. Besides you're cute when you're angry." He smiled, and it only grew bigger as he saw her trying not to smile back.

"You're infuriating." 

"I love you too." Brutus chuckled as his wife pulled him in for a kiss, "Sach, it's okay if you want to switch sides."

"My family is in the coven. I don't know what that would mean for them if I left."

"To hell with them. Misha dropped his son off with us because he was a late bloomer and wasn't even upset at his own son's funeral." Brutus growled, "besides none of them have ever treated you well."

"I don't know that the bombs were planted by the coven...."

"Belos threw Lilith in with her sister and was going to petrify them both. Lilith had been nothing but loyal to him. My aunt wouldn't have picked her to be the next leader of the coven if she wasn't." Brutus said firmly, "If he was so quick to throw her away, I doubt he would be that bothered by blowing up his own men."

"I don't know." She groaned as she buried her head in her hands, "We could get killed. Boscha could get killed."

"Well, we're about to be in a war, so I think that's going to happen regardless. And our baby girl is just as stubborn as you are. If we try to stop her......." He felt his heart break as he remembered burying the boy he raised.

"I don't want to lose her either." Sacha felt her own tears run down her face. "It's why I don't want her fighting in the first place."

"Sacha, we both have put our family names before our children. We've played into our roles and we've pushed that onto them. I'm tired of being just the last Lachance. I'm tired of us beating ourselves up with guilt for pushing our Tom into the Emperor's coven. It's too late for us to be better for him. We need to be better for her."

"You're right." Sacha wiped her eyes, "and if belos killed our boy.....I will do everything I can to stop him."

They walked to their daughter's room, they knocked gently on the door.

"Go away." Boscha yelled.

"We just want to talk...we have something we need to say." Brutus said gently.

Boscha rolled her eyes as she went to open the door, knowing full well they wouldn't leave. She just wanted their lecture to be over with. She blinked when they pulled her into a tight hug. She felt tears dripping on her shirt as she turned to look at her parents.

"I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry. I shouldn't have fallen into the same shit as my parents. I knew how bad that felt and yet I did it anyways. And I really shouldn't have dragged you into my rivalry with Odalia. I know that these words don't make up for how shit of a mom I've been."

"You're more to me than the heir of the Lachances. You're my daughter and I hate that it took this long for me to see that. I'm sorry for the pressure I put on you. I should have been better."

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Boscha asked, looking at her sobbing parents.

"We know you're in the rebellion." Sacha said gently.

Boscha jumped back in alarm, she blinked when they didn't start yelling. "How?"

"We found your mask in your bag." Brutus smiled, as he placed his large hand on his daughter's cheek.

Boscha pinched herself, "well, I'm awake.....so you're not mad that I've been helping the rebellion try and overthrow Belos?"

"He killed Tom....and we were the ones who got him in the E.C. to begin with. You found the truth and you did the right thing. And we want to help you." Sacha smiled.

Boscha felt tears prick her eyes, "r..really?"

They nodded and the three joined together for a tight hug. They finally felt like a family again.  
\------------‐----------------------------------

Luz and Viney starred as Boscha walked in, her parents standing behind her.

"Oh...shit....spoke too soon." Viney laughed humorlessly, as she jumped to her feet.

"Fuck....fucking fuck." Luz grumbled as she dropped her deck of cards.

"Easy, easy!" Boscha raised her hands, "They're here to help."

Luz turned her head towards the kitchen, "Eda, Lilith, Boscha's gone insane."

"That sounds like a short trip.....fuck me running." Eda said as she stared wide eyed at the adults, she turned immediately on her heels and walked back into the kitchen. The sound of struggling and shuffling could be heard before Lilith was shoved out the kitchen door.

"What the hell Edalyn.....oh fuck. Eda open the door!" Lilith yelled.

"Nope."

"Boscha is closer with you! So your problem!"

"Nope. Your coven, your problem."

"Can I at least get my staff?!" 

The door opened a crack and Lilith immediately charged at it, and yanked her sister out with her. They panted as they glared at each other.

"Well, didn't think this is how I would die." Viney sighed.

"Really? This is at least in the like top ten for me." Luz smiled.

"They're here to help you morons." Boscha said as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"What." The four women said blinking.

"You were a good leader and you didn't sacrifice your own for nothing. I'm tired of the coven lying to me." Sacha said, as she saluted her old boss.

"My great aunt was your predecessor. She knew who good people were. You have my loyalty." Brutus smiled, as he did his best to mimic his wife's salute.

"And why should we trust you." Eda growled, looking at them skeptically.

"We can offer money to help your cause. Also I'm a professional healer." Brutus offered, hopefully.

"You had me at money."

"Eda!" Lilith groaned as she rubbed her temples. "Boscha. You can stay here. You two come down to the basement with me. We'll do your initiation down there."

Boscha flopped on the sofa, purposefully squishing Luz, who grumbled and tried to shove her off. 

The adults smiled at them before heading down into the basement.

Brutus and Sacha followed the sisters into their potions lab, Eda drew a glyph on two sticky notes then placed them on their foreheads. She tapped them and watched as the pair glowed briefly before the light disappeared.

"Alright, why are you two really here?" Lilith asked, as she stared them down.

"We lost basically our son to the bombs and we don't want to lose our daughter too." Brutus said, he blinked as he felt compelled to say more, "We want to be better for her. We haven't been that great in the past."

"Kikimora also has been an absolute cunt at work and treats us like trash. I'm miserable at my job and I want to protect my family." Sacha then immediately felt panic rise, "I just called Kikimora a cunt...."

Lilith smirked, "Did you mean it?"

"Of course I fucking meant it." Sacha growled then immediately covered her mouth.

"Well the truth spell worked." Eda snickered "Alright, you can join the rebellion."

"However, we'll still need you to make an unbreakable vow before we fully admit you. Just so you don't rat us out to the emperor's coven." Lilith said rather nonchalantly as she cast the spell, "You will stay loyal to our rebellion and if you betray us. You will suffer greatly."

"If you do your best to be loyal to our daughter." Sacha added, as they shook hands.

"Of course." Lilith smiled, then repeated the vow with Brutus. 

"Alright, so how much of your life do you want to uproot? Because we could always use more trainers and healers. Unless your specialty isn't combat." Eda looked at Sacha, "although I believe you were in the abomination track at school."

"Eda, she's one of the trainers for the coven." Lilith said as if it were obvious, she pulled out she scroll and looked through her notes. "We're going to be setting up a camp around the house as a headquarters, medical camp and training ground if you want to stay here. However we could use another healer in our M.A.S.H. unit. And our west camp could use another trainer for recruits."

"We'd prefer to stay here, with Boscha. if that's alright with you." Brutus said, hesitantly.

"We'll do our best. But we may need her in the field." Eda rubbed the back of her neck, "at the end of the day, we have to prioritize our efforts to defeat Belos."

"Just don't get our little girl killed....we already lost one kid." Sacha sighed, fear in her eyes.

"We fucking adore these kids. Trust me. We don't want them getting hurt any more than you do." Eda smiled wearily, as she placed a reassuring hand on the woman's shoulder. 

The parents felt a bit of relief as they saw the sincerity in the sisters eyes. They were all scared but took comfort in the fact they at least weren't alone and the people in charge actually cared.  
\------------------------------------------

A few days had passed and the owl house was busier than ever. Many of the parents were helping out as they worked on building solid platforms to link to the owl house. Tents were raised and Hooty was absolutely thrilled as he stood up and sat down again testing the strength of the holds.

Luz sat back, as she wiped the sweat from her brow. She gulped down a glass of water and watched the others work. Willow and her dads were looking over the blueprints. Jerbo and his moms were setting up tents. Boscha was cutting lumber with her parents. Viney and her dad were loading up their griffins with supplies to take to other camps. Gus and his parents were testing spells to keep everything from falling over if it had to move. Barcus and his parents were connecting the supports.. Lilith and Eda were directing everything while the blight siblings helped wherever they were needed most. She felt a stab of envy as she watched these families together. Seeing them joke and laugh, it stung. She knew the others had family outside of their little group and it never really bothered her. Now, it just reminded her of her mom. 

She missed speaking in spanish with her, their jokes and her mom's teases. The times they would dance together in stupid bliss in the backyard as the sprinklers when off in the summer. The talks they had about life and things they didn't understand. The hugs and kisses. She'd even take them arguing over this giant emptiness.

She had felt like this before, but she had always been able to brush it aside. They had the book. They would find a way. It had been a comfort that soothed her aching when nothing else could. The thought that she could be back with her human family again was shattered. The thought she might never be able to go back, lingered in her mind. It followed her like her own shadow, but it didn't disappear in the dark. It only grew stronger, especially when she was alone. It mocked her as it repeated that she had done this to herself. Any tears or pain her Mami was suffering, was her fault. She didn't regret saving Eda and she didn't regret being a part of this world but she still blamed herself for not thinking enough about her mom. 

She felt tears prick her eyes and she stood, grabbing her saw and went back towards the lumber pile. "Boscha, you have any lumber marked?"

"Yeah mom put them in the pile over by the table." 

"Cool." Luz smiled as she grabbed a plank and began cutting. She let her mind focus on the task at hand, remembering her Mami's old mantra. She grinned sharply as she heard the board snap. However as the task grew more and more automatic, the more her mind started to wander. The sounds of Boscha laughing with her parents seemed to echo like thunder. She bit the inside of her cheek as she felt her chest ache. She felt a hand touch her shoulder and she turned, sneering at them. She felt remorse as she saw Boscha shoot a glare at her.

"Titan, I was just trying to tell you Eda and Lilith have been calling us over for like five minutes."

"Oh, sorry. Not a great day...in here." Luz pointed at her head as they walked.

"It's fine. Just don't go taking it out on others. Trust me. It doesn't make things any better." Boscha smiled as she playfully punched Luz's shoulder.

Luz shoved her back and then took off running. Boscha snickering as she gave chase. They were panting as they made it to the group. 

"So nice of you two to finally join us." Eda teased as both girls rolled their eyes. 

Lilith shook her head but smiled as she ushered Jerbo, Barcus and Viney to the front. The three grinned brightly. "They have something they want to show you all."

The three straightened up and raised their hands, crashing was heard behind them, and Hooty yelped as he swung open as three staffs came to their respective witch's hands. 

Viney held her staff sideways so everyone could see it. The wood was stained a dark chestnut brown and the staff itself had what looked like griffin claw marks along its body. Not enough to damage it but enough for aesthetics. The palismen on top was a griffin which was expertly painted and posed with one claw raised. She unscrewed it and it chirped happily and nested in her hair. "This little girl is Dewdrop."

"Hah, Knew it was gonna be a griffin." Boscha called from the crowd.

"Oh please we all knew." Jerbo laughed as Viney rolled her eyes but the smile never left her face.

"Alright asshole. It's your turn." She smirked as she stepped aside, letting him take the stage.

He held his staff so all could see. It looked more like the branch it was carved from. The top still had some of the bark and the knot on the side. The bottom was smooth and rounded but the stain was the same color as the bark. Moss seemed to travel along it as if it had just been found outside. The palismen at the top was a pileated woodpecker. He turned it off the staff and it puffed proudly as it flew to his shoulder. "This is Willy." Jerbo smirked.

"FUCK YEAH HE WENT WITH THE NAME I PICKED!" Edric cheered loudly causing everyone to laugh. 

Barcus shook his head smirking as he levitated his staff. His staff was grey, but had streaks of purple that crawled up it like veins. There was a golden band that was right below the palismen. A grey fox sat on top of the staff, he took it off and it curled up on his back. "This is Todd." He smiled as the fox yawned.

The crowd awww'd at the sight and then quieted as Eda and Lilith moved forward. 

"We're all very proud of these three. They've come a long way since they first arrived. And their training will be put to the test. Around this time next month. They'll be leaving for the camps." Lilith said, as she watched the mood turn from one of celebration to fear.

"We love them as if they were our own." Eda confessed, "but we need them out there. You were all trained to be leaders and strategists. This is just the beginning."

The group felt heavy as the three walked towards their loved ones. The fear was clear in everyone's eyes but they smiled anyways as it kept back the tears.


	21. Off to War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edric and Jerbo & Emira and Viney spend their last day together before they leave for war  
> Amity gives Luz hope.

Edric watched as Jerbo snored in his sleep, he didn't normally wake up first, but he couldn't bring himself not to.

He remembered the awkward boy he had crush on, the one who was shorter and whose voice still cracked from time to time. He was shy and didn't have many friends. He wasn't from any well to do family. He wasn't even in an actual track. He mixed magic and aside from the two other kids with him. He was a social pariah. Edric knew he would be poison for his reputation, he was a blight. Not only that but he was the eldest, and also the disappointment. He didn't need anything to make his standing worse.

Yet, here he was. Laying in bed with the man that boy had become. He was still awkward, in fact his new found height seemed to only make it worse. He often hit his head on low doorways. At six feet and five inches, he towered over Edric by a full foot. His voice had settled into a low baritone that rumbled in his chest and turned his purr from a hum to a lawnmower. He was hardly shy anymore, at least around him. He was silly and had dad humor. Most importantly for Edric though, was he was open and warm. He never hid his affection, never made him feel like it was something he had to earn. They had their fights but even when they were bad and Edric had thought he fucked everything up. Jerbo would only give him space. He wouldn't just abandon him. They'd talk when they cooled down and then they'd be okay. Jerbo loved him in ways he couldn't even love himself. He never made him feel like he wasn't good enough or he wasn't acting right. He loved him when he was himself. 

Edric was pulled from his thoughts as he heard a hum from his love, golden eyes met sleepy browns.

"Good morning my love" Jerbo yawned as he gave him a warm tender kiss, "surprised you're awake. You sleep okay?"

"No...but I think that's fucked for now."

Jerbo held him in his arms, "I love you."

"I love you too." Edric felt tears run down his face, it quickly turned into a sob.

Jerbo just pulled him closer as he felt his own tears run down his face. He knew today would hurt but he would do his best to make his love smile.  
\----------------------------------------

Viney kissed her sleeping girlfriend's face. She smirked slightly as she saw her eyes flutter open. "Hey sexy" 

Emira tried her best to smile but the weight of the day made her sink too low. "Hi"

Viney sighed, as she pulled her girlfriend into a hug and purred softly. She wished she had more time, that they could just defeat Belos with a snap of her fingers and she could just stay with her love all day. 

She was used to being unnoticed. She was a detention track kid. She was poor and besides Jerbo and Barcus her only friends were her dad and their griffins. She was in shock when she found the letter. Emira Blight, the top student in the illusion track. One of the most popular girls in school. She was rich and well bred. Yet she liked her back. And now, she can't even remember why she had been so scared to ask her in the first place. 

Emira was mischievous, smart, sparky and deeply insecure. She still blushed when she asked for a kiss. Her last name was a yoke that choked her if she did something wrong. Yet around her and their found family, she was softer. She was playful and silly. She was confident but not because of what her name was. She was confident in who she was and it had made all the difference.

Viney held her girlfriend's face in her hands, "I'm scared too. I don't know what's going to happen. But I'm a healer. I'm probably not going to be in much combat."

"Just...don't die on me." Emira cuddled into her.

"Trust me, not dying is at the top of my to do list."

"Is the second thing coming back to me in one piece?"

"One piece? Shit, let's not get picky here." Viney smirked as Emira glared daggers at her.

"That is not funny." Emira pouted. 

"It's a little funny."

"Ya know it's moments like this it makes me wonder why I'm going to miss your stupid face." 

Viney just purred louder as she gave her a soft kiss, "because we love each other."

A bright scarlet bloomed on Emira's face before she laid back down on her girlfriend's chest. "We do." She tried her best to purr but she couldn't and just took solace that her love was next to her right now.  
\---------------------------------

Eda and Lilith set the table up for breakfast. The normally light joy of spending time with their kids was gone. Instead the air hung heavy as fear and guilt gnawed at their souls. 

"Are we doing the right thing?" Lilith asked, more to the room in general.

"Depends on how you look at it." Eda said, her voice distant and hollow. "As a leader of a rebellion. Yes. We're sending reinforcements and some of our best troops. For the future of the isles? Depends on if we win. If we do, we can give people freedom and make our world a better place. Morally, well I think we both know we don't have a very high standing there. Good people are going to die. And those who do survive will be scarred forever. We can only hope we win so those things aren't for nothing."

"The path to hell is paved with good intentions as they say." Lilith mused as continued to scramble the eggs.

"Hey at least we wouldn't be alone." Eda smirked as she threw her arm around her sister.

"I suppose there are worse punishments." Lilith smiled softly but the levity didn't last. There was too much weight that hung in the air. 

Their heads turned as Amity walked in, her hair was a mess and she had bags under her eyes. Eda immediately took over the cooking as Lilith wrapped the girl in a tight hug, "Rough night?"

"Yeah...." Amity confessed as she leaned into her touch, "I'm worried about my friends with the war, my siblings who are dating some of them and Luz who's just been more depressed lately. I just hate seeing them all like this. Before I could at least tell them things would get better......I don't even know if I believe that anymore." 

"Things are going to get worse before they get better. And this is a cause worth fighting for. People should be able to learn any magic they want and shouldn't have their powers restricted. They shouldn't be thrown in jail when they're not hurting anyone. I want people to be free to be themselves. If we succeed then we can make people's lives better. And even if we fail. We at least tried to make the world better." Jerbo smiled as he walked into the kitchen.

"Sometimes the best thing you can do is take solace in the fact you're doing the right thing." Viney reassured as she leaned in the doorway. 

"Did that make Ed and Em feel better?" Amity asked desperately.

"I don't know if Ed feels better." Jerbo said his eyes glanced down as his ears dropped, "he understands why I need to go, why I want to go and he respects it."

"Em loves me. We don't want to see the other hurt. But this is bigger than us. We have to do something and we both know it." 

"In the meantime. We're going to make the most of our last day." Jerbo smiled past his pain and fear, as he grabbed two plates to take downstairs.

"That's really all we can do." Viney added, as she carried her own plates of food. "I mean it's either that or give up and that really doesn't make anything better."

Amity nodded feeling a bit of hope warm in her chest, her mind wandered to the girl resting in their bed. The one who always seemed to find another way, despite people not always believing her. She felt determination fill her for the first time in months as she walked towards the stairs.  
\------------------------------------------------

Luz curled tightly into herself. Dark thoughts swirled in her head as she begged them to quiet. The people that were out there dying in the war, her friends who might never come home, her mother and uncles who were grieving her while she is still alive. She wanted the pain to stop. The aching in her chest as she felt the world pressing down on her. A world she couldn't hold up much longer for herself, let alone anyone else. 

"Luz?" Amity said, as she crawled into their bed and spooned the taller girl. She kissed the back of her neck. "Remember when you first arrived here?" Amity asked as she held her love, "no one thought a human could do magic. Even I didn't think it was possible. But you found a way." She smiled as she moved to face Luz, "You taught me that anything is possible. It might be harder and it might take more time but there is always another way. That magic is wild and can be done and mixed in more ways than anyone could even dream." She pressed her forehead against Luz's as she cupped her cheek "You've done the impossible so many times before, my love, don't give up now."

"Trying never hurt before. Trying never meant killing innocent people who just happened to join the other side. And taking extra time didn't break my Mami's heart before." 

"Giving up won't make the war end, it doesn't save anyone, and it doesn't get you back to your mom any sooner. Just...please hold on." Amity felt the tears welling in her eyes, "cause we can't make the world better if we don't try. And...my world would be better with you."

Luz kissed Amity softly, she still hurt. The ache in her chest was still there but it felt a bit lighter. Trying would still hurt. As she stared into her love's golden eyes, and thought of all the other people who loved her. The ones who were downstairs and the ones who were waiting. They were enough for her to keep going for a while. "I love you."

"I love you too."  
\--------------------------------------------

Jerbo and Edric sat on a little dock by a lake. Their shoes and socks lay in the grass behind them as their toes rested in the cool water. Willy pecked at a nearby tree, barely giving notice to the two witches below who rested in its shade. 

Jerbo smiled as he watched a family of ducks swim by, and pulled a little bag of seed from his pocket and tossed some in their direction. They laughed as they watched the ducklings eat greedily, letting out happy little quacks as they swam closer in hopes of more goodies. 

Edric threw some more, watching with joy as the ducklings happily continued their feast. His golden eyes widened as a particularly brave duckling swam up to them. It quacked loudly at them, demanding more seeds. Edric carefully put a few in his hand and squeed as it took them without any sign of fear. 

The taller witch felt his heart fill with warmth, as he watched his lover continue to feed the ducks. He silently hoped that the gentleness stayed in Edric's heart even through the war. That his own compassion wouldn't die in the battlefield. That maybe one day they could come back to this lake when the war is just a bad memory. They could sit like this, with Edric resting in between Jerbo's legs, his back pressed up against his lover's chest. Hell, maybe they would even have a little one of their own, who would giggle and laugh as they watched the ducks swim by. The thought warmed his cheeks but melancholy creeped into his mind. 

Another picture appeared, this time of just Edric alone. He imagined him looking tired, his eyes puffy and red but a smile still resting on his lips as he threw seeds for the ducks. 

Edric leaned back against Jerbo, "What ya thinking?"

"The future....and what it could be"

Edric's expression turned solemn at his words, "if both of us even get much of a future."

"I can think of a thousand worse things than to end up as a memory in the hearts of those who loved me." Jerbo smiled wearily.

"Why? It's not even close to the same as having you around and all those memories would hurt."

"Never said it would be the same or that it wouldn't hurt. But....even if they hurt doesn't mean they're not still good memories. I'd rather you laugh through your tears than never laugh again." Jerbo kissed him gently, "and even if it hurts doesn't mean you shouldn't try to find love again."

Edric felt tears run down his face as he buried his head in his love's chest, he sobbed openly in his arms. Jerbo smiled as his own tears landed like rain on the emerald locks. Edric lifted his head and kissed his boyfriend. "So long as you promise me to do the same if I don't make it back."

Jerbo nodded as he cried, pulling him in for another desperate kiss before pulling a wrapped box out of his pocket. "I got this for you, as a memento."

Edric laughed lightly through his tears as he pulled out his own gift, "I guess great minds do think alike."

They traded gifts and they both began to undo the wrapping. Edric let out a gasp as he opened the box to see a silver locket in the shape of a bat. He clicked it open and saw the pictures of them together start to move. "a memory locket, Jerbo how did you even afford this?"

"Actually I made it. Well I helped make it. Viney's dad does some blacksmithing and he helped make the locket itself. Your sisters actually helped with the enchantment. Although the protection enchantment I did myself."

"I love it!" He cried as Jerbo helped him put it on. Edric placed his hand on the necklace and smiled, "okay, open mine!"

Jerbo snickered as he opened the box, his eyes widened as he stared at the beautifully detailed signet ring. The face looked like a carved emerald which depicted a woodpecker and a bat sharing a tree branch. The band was made of a cherry stained wood and he could feel just by touching it that it was enchanted as well. "Edric, Titan." Jerbo tried to find his words as he stared at his gift. Signet rings were only ever given to once noble families and they were only worn by the heads of said family. They were a sign not necessarily of wealth but of importance. 

Edric smiled as he slid the ring on Jerbo's right hand. "A perfect fit."

"How did you even-"

"Told my father I wanted a signet ring and that I wanted to design it myself."

"He actually let you do that?"

"Please, he was thrilled I was finally acting like a proper blight. Although the stain on the wood I did myself when I enchanted it. I had help from Barcus, Viney and Luz. Well Luz gave me the idea for the enchantment and Barcus and Viney helped me bind it. It's also a protection enchantment."

Jerbo smiled and pulled his love in for a tender kiss, they basked in each other's arms as the afternoon sun replaced their shade, doing their best to make forever last a few more hours.  
\------------------------------------------------

Emira squeaked, gripping Viney's torso tighter as Puddles soared through the sky. She was used to flying. Normally she wouldn't have even blinked at being in the air. But Viney flew anything like a bat out of hell, especially Puddles who happily banked sharply or dove straight down if her witch friend asked. Emira closed her eyes as she felt them do a loop, and heard Viney yell with joy. Their speed started to slow and she opened her eyes to see a picnic set up near a cliff overlooking the beach. She felt a smile starting on her face as Puddles started their descent. 

"See? We made it here all safe and sound." Viney grinned, booping her girlfriend's nose.

Emira crossed her arms slightly, "Yeah and you weren't trying to give me a stroke on the way here."

"Puddles wouldn't let us get hurt. Besides it's more comfortable for two people on a griffin than a staff." Viney smirked before giving her a soft kiss, "besides it might be awhile til we go on a ride together."

Emira felt her smile falter as she was lead to the large blanket that was spread out in the grass. She watched Viney as she pulled out a bottle of sparkling wine from the basket. She grabbed her pocket knife and cleanly cut the top off the bottle and poured it into their glasses. They sipped the wine in the afternoon sun and took turns throwing grapes into the other's mouth. They giggled like school kids as they moved onto throwing slices of cheese at each other. Viney snorted as one smacked Emira in the face before falling onto her cleavage. 

"I make a basket" Viney wheezed as Emira swatted at her gently barely containing her own laughter.

"You did that on purpose"

"I have shit eye hand coordination. That was just a happy accident."

Emira rolled her eyes but the grin never left her face as she ate the offending piece of cheese. She took a sip of wine before leaning against her love. She leaned her head back and booped her nose. She watched as Viney smiled wider before leaning down to give her a soft kiss. 

"I love you." The emerald haired girl whispered into her lips.

"I love you too." Viney said although there was a pain that creeped its way into her voice. 

They laid back together as they stared at the clouds. Emira felt her mind drift off somewhere else. She thought of a world where there wasn't a war, where Lilith was her real mom and her and her girlfriend could just be two stupid seventeen year olds in love. Where their biggest worry was getting caught sneaking out on some silly escapade. They could be open about their relationship even at school and wouldn't have to worry about the social pressures of being a blight. She could study multiple tracks and they could graduate together. Then work a few dead end jobs before finding a little apartment to call home. 

She didn't ask for much, her parents had taught her that she only received what they thought was best for her. She didn't want the most lavish dress or to learn how to sit up straight properly or how to use correct diction. She was used to being given things that were befitting of someone of her status. Yet the only thing she truly wanted is just to be able to be herself. Emira knew Viney sometimes felt self conscious, that she didn't always think she was worthy of her affection. She adored her Viney because she gave her love and that was worth more to her than anything in the world. 

"Em, if we both manage to escape through this living hell alive....what would you want to do after?" Viney asked as she purred softly.

Emira nuzzled her head under her lover's chin as she thought. She never let her mind wander off to imagine the end of the war, she had told herself it was because she didn't want to get her hopes up. In truth, it was because the only future she knew was the plan her parents had mapped out for her since she was eight. "I guess I'd probably want to do this with you again. Just sit together and watch the clouds."

"That's it? No dream career? Dream house?"

"My dream house only needs you." 

"Okay but I'd at least like it to have indoor plumbing." Viney smirked as Emira poked her side, "Sorry sorry, I couldn't help it."

Emira chuckled as she settled back into Viney's chest, "so what do you want to do when this all ends?"

"If we both make it? Probably find a job, probably as a healer for animals or maybe even a professor at hexside if they start incorporating more mixed magic lessons. Save up some money and get myself a little cottage on the edge of town so Puddles has space to run around without any neighbors bitching about her being on their lawn." Viney smiled but some redness flushed in her face, "maybe......someday marry a nice girl and raise some kids together."

Emira felt her face turn beet red as she pictured them playing at a park with their children. Viney and her taking turns pushing them on the swings and eating a picnic together. "I...think I'd like that too....if we both get to see the end of...this."

"If I don't make it back, promise me you won't close your heart off." Viney felt her eyes stinging as tears began to race down her cheeks, "Em, I love you. The only thing I want for you is to be happy even if I'm not around to see it."

Emira began to weep into Viney's chest, as she felt her heart breaking, "I'll try my best so long as you will if it's me who doesn't make it home."

"I'll try too." Viney smiled weakly as she pulled out a box, "I made us something."

"Love, you didn't need to get me anything and I don't have anything for you." Emira sniffled as she opened the box and saw two matching bracelets, they had a small clear gem in them and had a very faint reddish glow to the metal. She touched one gently and watched as the gem turned cloudy. Viney carefully touched the other one and both of the gems turned a soft blue. Emira felt her tears begin anew. "Sweetheart bracelets.....V you shouldn't have."

"Well I thought, this way, if we're lonely or missing each other. We can give the gem a little tap and we'll know when we're thinking about each other. "

Emira ran her fingers across the gem and the color changed to a deep emerald that almost matched her hair, "I love it. And I love you."

"I love you too."

They held each other close, as they listened to their soft heart beats. Enjoying their love for what felt like the last time.

\-------------------------------------------------

Everyone had gathered at the owl house as the sunset began. The teens exchanged hugs while all their parents either offered support for Viney, Jerbo and Barcus's parents or tried to hide their own tears.

Luz hugged Gus as he started to sob, while Amity did her best for her siblings. Willow leaned into Boscha as they both cried. 

The tears only quieted when Jerbo, Viney and Barcus emerged from the house in their uniforms. Their pants were heavy and black, while the shirt looked about the same but had dull brass buttons and on their collar was a pin with seven golden feathers on it. They each had their witch's wool cloaks that draped around their shoulders making them loom larger than they were. They each held their helmets in one hand and their staff in the other. 

Lilith and Eda walked out, in their own uniforms. The only real difference was the pin as theirs both had eight feathers instead of seven. The three saluted them as they walked over. 

"You three have come a long way, and we're all very proud of you." Lilith smiled, as she gave them each one last forehead kiss.

"Give them hell out there." Eda grinned before doing the same. 

The family all said their tear filled goodbyes. Edric and Emira both gave their loves one last kiss. 

"It's time." Eda sighed, as she wiped away her tears.

Jerbo slid on his helmet which resembled a barred owl, the golden eyes on the twilight black mask blinked to life. Barcus followed soon after with his helmet, his resembled great grey owl and lastly Viney who put on her great horned owl helmet.

The helmets made them look almost like demons with how the pupil less golden eyes stared down. The facial mimic only added to the uneasiness.

Lilith straightened her posture as she gave each a letter to give to the current head of the camp they were going to, "Colonel Ent, you're assigned to the northern camp, they've experienced heavy attacks. See if you can turn that around."

"Yes General." Jerbo's voice sounded almost like a growl because of the distortion enchantment.

"Colonel Mystic, you're assigned to the Eastern camp, the majors there are trying to establish new forts and will need your help."

"Yes General." Barcus whose voice was already something they were all getting used to sounded gruff and robotic with the helmet.

"Colonel Bones, you are to meet the M.A.S.H. unit in the western camp. Then you'll be leading them north to help with any casualties. We'll send orders if anything changes." 

"Yes General." Viney's voice sounded raspy and also had a mechanical sound to it. 

Eda came forward and handed them each a softer long cloth mask that didn't cover their mouths, the eyes were still golden, "These have the same enchantments as your helmets. You can wear these under your helmets and put them on when you're not in battle." They each took the new mask and gave a salute. "Good luck out there."

The group watched as the three Colonels flew away on their staffs. Any hope for denial vanished as they grew farther and farther away. The War was on and it was going to send them all off one day.


	22. A bad night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the night before Luz's 16th birthday
> 
> Big ass trigger warning in this one boys. If you're sensitive to any sort of self destructive behavior, I'll sum up what happens in the chapter notes at the end.

It had been two months since Jerbo, Viney and Barcus left. Jerbo had successfully taken a fort from the Emperor's army. Barcus had helped them establish four new camps and Viney was traveling east to bring medical aid to the first eastern camp. 

The owl house was now the central hub for the rebellion surrounded by a bunch of tents and shacks known as the owl town to those who now resided in it. Most of whom were new recruits here for training. The rest were healers and supply runners. 

The rest of the teens had taken over as trainers. With the exception of the twins and Gus who lead supply runs and thieving missions. 

The rebellion was doing okay for now and currently it was a rest day for those who didn't need to work all the time. 

It was a Saturday night, and Luz, who went by the name Gambit in the rebellion, was treating her newest batch of recruits at the pub tent.

"Alright privates." Luz smiled, the cloth mask she wore distorted her voice and made her sound like she swallowed gravel every morning and followed it up with a cigarette chaser. "Supplies might run low. We save pain meds for those who need it most. And if you're not losing a limb you're probably not getting them. So you each get two shots of whiskey tonight. Better get used to the taste." She laughed bitterly as she threw back two of her own shots, and snickered at the faces the new recruits made. "Greenies." 

Tonight was a bad night, Amity's parents made her and her siblings go to some fancy party celebrating the recent promotion of Alador as he was made a captain in the Emperor's army. Boscha and Willow were filling in for the twins on Gus's supply run to one of the nearby camps. Well that wasn't exactly true, Willow and Boscha both offered to stay if she wanted someone to hang out with tonight. She had told them she would be fine. 'It's just a day' she thought as she pulled out a pack of cigarettes and placed one in her mouth. She pulled out her deck of light spells and tapped one and held the cigarette out to it. She smiled as it lit before taking a long drag, 'not like being sixteen even matters here.' She pulled out her scroll and relaxed as she saw the time. Tonight was a bad night for sure, but it was just the night before her birthday. Tomorrow would be hell but it was still two hours away. She finished her cigarette and dropped the stub in the bucket by the tent flap and went back in the bar. She had only one goal tonight and that was not to be sober.  
\-------------------------------------------

Eda glared daggers at the book on the coffee table before burying her hands in her hair, "so Sacha able to get any new information on what the Emperor might have on portals or seals?"

"No, unfortunately. Apparently after I left they became super strict about who goes in and out of the Emperor's palace." Lilith sighed as she leaned back in the chair.

"It only took him how many years to finally get good security."

"I know, it's inconvenient to say the least. But I know he has something. He mentioned he needed the portal for some day of unity. So he has to have something or know something we don't." 

"In brighter news, your kids were able to snag me another book on seals from the restricted section." Eda smiled softly as she grabbed the book, "Those three have the makings of damn good thieves."

"Of course they are, they're basically Clawthrones at this point." Lilith smirked but her face fell, "speaking of, you talk to Luz?"

"I did for a bit, I know she was planning on hanging out with Amity tonight and tomorrow but sounds like that was a bust. I asked her if she wanted to come home early but she said she was fine." Eda frowned, "I know she's hurting and I just want to help her."

"Trust me, you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped. You taught me that lesson. At nauseum." Lilith mused as she ran a hand through her graying hair, "I'm more worried about her ways of dealing with stress. I know I've smelled cigarette smoke on her the past few weeks."

"The problem is I can't tell if it's her or it's just because she hangs out at the bar. " Eda said worry clear in her voice, "I'm more worried about her drinking. Cause she definitely drinks like a Clawthrone. The problem is I don't even know if I can even prevent that. Especially since we have to prioritize our medical supplies."

"We'll deal with it as it comes. Although if we catch her smoking we need to do something. Blue cloud fucks up demon's lungs let alone a human's."

"We'll see if she'll even listen to us." Eda groaned, "she used to be so open about everything. I don't know where she learned to bury her emotions......I fucking taught her that....Titan dammit...ugh why is parenting so hard?"

"Because we became parents to teenagers in our 40s with little to no experience of actually raising children." 

"And now they're traumatized."

"Hey, we're at least trying. The emperor's coven breaks their recruits so they blindly follow orders....we at least spare our kids and our recruits that cruelty."

"It's war for fuck sake, we don't need to break them. One day on the field will do that for most of them. Titan, you should have seen the look in Jerbo's eyes last week when I went to check on the new fort." Eda stared down at the portal book, "I was hoping that if we could find something, just any lead on this book. We might be able to get some hope back into Luz and maybe give us some place to keep the younger ones safe if shit starts going south."

"I'm terrified when the Emperor's coven starts taking new members. I know they're only holding off on letting people in so they can weed out some of the weaker ones and have more openings for the elites' kids. If they run away, especially now that Alador is going to be leading troops. He could find them."

"He could also kill them by accident. Which might only be marginally better than going back to Odalia." Eda tried her best to laugh but it just sounded hollow, "even if we pulled them from the front lines. Having them here would be a liability especially if the coven is looking for them." 

Lilith rubbed her temples, "nothing can ever be easy......Did you learn anything new about seal breaking?"

"Yes but not anything helpful for this. It's mostly about breaking enchanted locks. It's almost too modern for a spell like this. Although it would be good for getting any of our troops out of a jam so not totally useless."

The older Clawthrone nodded as she grabbed the portal book, flicking through its old battered pages, "I'm shocked the blood didn't unlock it. That's the base of so many ancient spells."

"I know! King even tried a bit of his blood but nothing happened. Slides off the damn thing like water off a duck." Eda growled, "who ever made that thing was a genius and a complete bastard."

"They were definitely something.......it's two am....I'm going to try to get some sleep." Lilith yawned as she placed the portal book back on the coffee table. 

"I was trying to wait up for Luz, but I don't know if she'll even be coming home tonight." Eda said fear radiating from her.

"Brutus and Sacha are out at the bar tonight and so are Brian and Calum. I already told them to keep an eye on her tonight. And the bar is right up the way." Lilith reassured as she gave her sister's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"Thanks Lily."

"No problem Eda" She smiled softly before a shiver went through her, "throw another log in the fireplace. It's supposed to get cold tonight." 

Eda placed a few more logs into the flames, and jabbed the broken logs with the poker, "At least the bar has heating." She said more to herself than to Lilith who just nodded before heading to her room down the hall. Eda felt uneasiness rolling up her back as she made her way upstairs to her room. She stared at Luz's room and saw the moonlight gleaming off a golden colored tag. She smiled was she walked over and saw King sleeping on Luz's bed, and tapped him with her foot.

"Neh?" King grumbled sleepily as he swatted at her slipper.

"King wake up."

"Don't you know it's disrespectful to wake the King of Demons from his nappy time." He mumbled, opening one of his eyes.

"I'll let you have coffee tomorrow if you do this for me."

The small demon sat up, "ooo go on."

Eda chuckled slightly at his response, "I need you to wait downstairs tonight. Just until Luz gets home. I want to make sure she gets back safely."

King shrunk slightly at her words and hugged her leg, "For Luz. I'll do it without the bribe."

"Oh thank Titan, cause you're an absolute maniac on caffeine."

"Okay, ya know just cause you said that. I still want the coffee tomorrow."

"Nope. No take backsies." Eda smirked as she walked away from him.

"The king of demons always gets take backsies!" 

Eda snickered as she stood in the doorway of her room, "Good thing you're just Mr. Wiggles then." She cackled as she closed the door and heard his squee of rage. She still felt a bit of worry twisted in her gut, but she knew she couldn't stay awake much longer. She closed her eyes and drifted into a dreamless sleep.

\----------------------TRIGGER WARNING ----------------------

Luz staggered in through the back door, growled as she stomped out her cigarette on the mat. She walked over to the sink to wash the blood off her hands. A few privates had been harassing one of the newbies and she had decided to teach them a lesson. She had happily left one of them with a broken nose and the other with bruised ribs before dropping them at the feet of both Major Lachances. Brutus had only sighed as he got out his medical supplies. While Sacha got their names. Brian and Calum Park went to comfort the witch they were harassing. Luz, known as Colonel Gambit to the troops, decided she wanted to punch out her feelings so made her way back to the owl house.

She dried her hands on towel before making her way through the living room and down towards the basement. She grinned drunkenly as she reached the gym door and gave it a pull. The door however didn't budge. She yanked hard on the handle, this time with both hands but still the door didn't move. She kicked and blinked as a message appeared on the outside of the door

Luz, 

I know today is a bad day for you but I don't want you to break your fingers again beating the shit out of the sand bag. I've locked the gym off for the next few days. Love you kid

Eda

Luz grumbled as she made her way back up the stairs, wanting desperately for anything to stop the aching in her chest. She didn't want to be sad. She was always sad and she was exhausted of it. Today should have been fun. She should have spent it with her mom, maybe learning to drive or playing Lazer tag with her uncles. However just like her fifteenth birthday she was stuck in the boiling isles with no way back. She felt tears prick her eyes and she made her way to the kitchen.

She smiled as she grabbed the whiskey bottle off of the shelf. She pulled the top off and threw it back like it was water. She stopped to hold some of it in her mouth, savoring the burning feeling. Anything was easier than the pain in her heart. She walked into the living room, ready to make her way to her bed when she spied something on the coffee table. Her hazel eyes stared daggers at the charred old book. She flopped down on the couch and took another drink before setting it on the table. Nimble hands quickly flipped through the yellow aged pages filled with nonsense. It had been over a year, and they had found nothing. This book, this great macguffin, that was supposed to hold all the secrets on how to bring her back home, was nothing more than a dead end next to a pile of broken dreams. She felt the grief and the guilt bubbling in her as she held this book of broken promises. She closed her eyes, she wasn't in the mood for any more tears. She had cried enough for her entire life in this past year and she was done. She smiled sharply as she turned her pain into rage, which roared in her veins like wild fire. She saw the fireplace, and the warm soft fire that crackled safely in its cage. She pulled back the grate with the tongs. She sat for a moment and watched the dancing flames that consumed all they touched. She pulled out a cigarette and lit it off the flames before tossing the already charred ancient book into the fire. 

She moved back, puffing on the cigarette as the blue smoke curled away from her lips. She took another sip of whiskey. She smirked but it quickly turned into a frown as she watched the fire move around the book as if it were afraid to touch it. Not only that but the flames underneath it were starting to die out as if they were being suffocated. She snarled as she grabbed the book out of the fire, it was cool to the touch. She slammed it onto the table and pulled out her pocket knife. 

King twitched in his sleep when he heard the ruckus, he lifted his head up and saw Luz. He wrinkled his nose as the smell of blue cloud tobacco and Dwarven whiskey filled the air, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he saw Luz snarling at the coffee table. He quietly and quickly ran upstairs to get Eda.

Luz slammed her knife towards the book, but a force prevented her from bringing her blade any closer. It felt almost like she was trying to force two magnets of the same pole together. She fought it anyways throwing more of her weight behind it, she smiled as she felt it pierce but it fell away when she saw her knife in the table. She yanked it out and tried again and again. Each time it reflected off, she snapped as she almost hit her finger that was resting on the cover. A dangerous thought smirked like a half starved animal in her mind as she moved her hand over the book. She grinned as she found it almost seemed to break whatever was protection the book had. She laughed as she tighten her grip on her knife in the other hand and raised it high.

"Fuck, Luz! HOOTY GRAB HER!" a voice yelled and Luz didn't even have time to react before she was wrapped in a bunch of feathers. Her knife clattered on the floor.  
\-------------------------------------------

Lilith woke to the sound of agony. A wailing scream that overflowed with pain and raw emotion. She jumped to her feet as she felt a chill down her spine and dred bury deep in her chest. 

She blinked her eyes adjusting to the brightness of the living room then let out a gasp at the sight before her eyes.

Luz was thrashing violently in Hooty's grasp, desperately trying to get free. Eda stood stretching out her hands towards the human like she was approaching an angry slitherbeast, tears rolled down her face. King just hugged Eda's leg like a scared toddler during a storm.

"Luz, sweetie, please it's me." Eda whispered gently. 

The human only glared as she tried to claw her way out. 

"Eda...." Lilith said softly as she placed a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Lily" Eda said her voice like broken glass, "Go get the kid a glass a water please."

Lilith just nodded as she quickly made her way into the kitchen. She returned as soon as the cup was filled and placed it on what was left of the coffee table. She spotted the knife on the floor and quickly flipped it closed and put it in her pocket.

"Luz. Kid....I'll have Hooty let you go. But you have to sit still okay?" Eda said calmly, the human stopped and just panted. Her hazel eyes stared coldly ahead. "Hooty let her go."

The house demon looked hesitantly at Eda before he carefully let go of the human. 

Luz immediately buried her hands in her coat pockets as she sank to her knees. Tears streamed down from her empty eyes and Eda immediately wrapped her kid in a hug. 

"Luz, sweetheart, please just talk to me. I don't care if it's just the same stuff it always is. Honey, I love you so much and I don't want to watch you hurt yourself." Eda sobbed. She blinked away hear tears as she hear mutter something, she relaxed her hold as she moved to cup her cheek.

Luz smirked as she darted forward immediately pulling a translation glyph from her pocket and slammed it on the cover of the portal book. She watched as it immediately caught a blaze, the fire only seemed to consume the book as it quickly became nothing more than a book shaped piece of charcoal. As the fire put itself out the weight of her actions stabbed through the throbbing ache that was her heart. She fell to her knees as her grief and self hatred burned anew as she sobbed. She didn't want to cry anymore but she couldn't stop these tears. They burst through like an overflowed dam. She turned as she felt three pairs of arms around her. "I'm sorry."

Eda just kissed her forehead, "Just let it out sweetheart. Just let it all out. I love you Luz."

"We'll listen whenever you need us." Lilith said as she wiped the tears from her eyes, gently stroking the girl's hair. 

"And I'm still here for you too." King added as he hugged while standing in her lap.

Luz lip trembled as she let out a cry of pure sorrow then buried herself in Eda's arms.

Eda rubbed her back gently, "That's my girl. Just let it out." She carried the girl up to her nest and all four of them snuggled together as the early morning sun started to peak its way on the horizon. It was only the beginning of a very bad day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luz gets drunk and angry and uses a translation glyph to burn the portal book and has a bit of a mental break down. Eda, Lilith and King comfort her.


End file.
